Wright State University receives $2.5 million grant to expand Dayton Street Medicine program

Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine and Premier Health have received a $2.5 million federal Health Resources and Services Administration Family Medicine Education Training Grant for the expansion of their Dayton Street Medicine program. Dayton Street Medicine provides primary care services to people who are experiencing homelessness, and also provides individuals with resources and social support.

According to an article on Wright State University’s website, Marietta Orlowski, Ph.D., who is a professor of population and public health sciences at Wright State University and the director of Dayton Street Medicine’s Rural Initiatives, was quoted as saying of the expansion, “Bringing street medicine to a rural setting is both a natural next step and a meaningful opportunity. It allows us to better serve communities with limited access to care while giving our learners firsthand experience navigating the complexities — and rewards — of practicing medicine in underserved areas.” 

Dayton Street Medicine first launched in 2025 as an initiative between the Boonshoft School of Medicine, Premier Health, Premier Community Health, and the Dayton Dream Center, and was supported by the OneOhio Recovery Foundation. Since its opening, the program has served roughly 300 unique patients, providing 448 clinical visits and 313 health screenings to these individuals. The program operates out of the Premier Health Mobile Clinic at the Dream Center on East Third Street for one half-day per week.

Thanks to the Health Resources and Services Administration Family Medicine Education Training Grant, the Dayton Street Medicine program will now be able to operate for two additional days per week. One of those days, service will be located at the Bethany Center in Piqua and Miami County Public Health to provide service to individuals in rural locations. On the other additional day, an outreach team will head into high-needs areas of Dayton to provide service to individuals who cannot make it to either physical location.

These outreach teams will include a family medicine physician, a peer recovery supporter, and a program coordinator who is also a certified medical assistant. Also on the team are medical students and family medicine residents.

Anna Squibb, M.D., who serves as the program director of family medicine and addiction medicine at Premier Health and the medical director of Dayton Street Medicine, said, “Our program stood out because of our long-standing commitment to community-based care, our robust resident training infrastructure and our established cross-sector partnerships. This work would not be possible without our community partners. These relationships allow us to coordinate care effectively and address the full spectrum of needs our patients face.”

Among the partners of the Dayton Street Medicine program are Miami Valley Housing Opportunities, the City of Dayton’s GROW program, Police and Fire Departments, and Community Paramedicine, Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery, and Advocates for Basic Legal Equality.

Sydney Silverstein, Ph.D., who is an associate professor of population and public health sciences and the director of outreach, engagement and community partnerships at Dayton Street Medicine, noted that the program provides immersive learning opportunities for medical students.

She said, “Seeing the tremendous need and hearing about the struggles that our patients have faced in previous health care encounters has greatly motivated our students to seek out careers providing care to the populations that we see during street medicine and educating their peers and community about the great need for trauma-informed, quality health care in places like Dayton.”

One student, Beth Ekeh, said, “I have learned how to practice medicine outside the box. Dayton Street Medicine has illustrated how we can address barriers to provide comprehensive and compassionate care for our patients. Additionally, I have gained an understanding of the challenges my patients are facing outside traditional clinical settings that are impacting their health.”

Isabelle Fox, another student, said, “Delivering care on the mobile bus has helped me problem solve and work through providing medical care without the full scope of resources at our fingertips. One of the biggest takeaways for me is that I want to be someone that patients can trust and feel comfortable with, especially those who may be hesitant to seek care because of prior negative experiences or stigma.”

For more information about Wright State University, visit the school’s website.