California State University, San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus has been awarded an $88,013 grant from the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation to support its Nursing Street Medicine Program. The funding will help expand outreach efforts, improve access to healthcare services, and provide clinical training opportunities for nursing students.
The program, which serves unsheltered and underserved communities across the Coachella Valley, brings healthcare directly to those in need. Nursing faculty and students travel into the field, providing services like basic healthcare, wound care, chronic disease management, glucose monitoring, foot care, behavioral health assessments, and referrals to primary care and specialists. Nurse clinics are held at shelters, food distribution sites, homeless encampments, senior housing, migrant worker locations, and cooling/warming centers.
Through this initiative, students gain hands-on experience while also learning empathy. They fulfill clinical hours required for graduation while helping those facing economic hardship. The program also distributes essential supplies such as hygiene products, hand sanitizer, face masks, clothing, shoes, socks, and sunscreen.
The grant will further help the Palm Desert Campus strengthen its commitment to addressing healthcare disparities and expand the number of registered nurses trained to work with vulnerable populations. This partnership underscores the shared goal of the campus and the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation to improve access to care and build a compassionate healthcare workforce.
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