Making Winter a Little Warmer
UCSD Professor and Residents Reach Out to Homeless

Kim Edwards | December 3, 2007

From left: Drs. Kurt Lindeman, Sarah Lorentz, Shayna Davis, Margaret McCahill, Luis Sandoval and James Dunford.

With less than 72 hours notice, Dr. Margaret McCahill founding director of the UCSD Combined Family Medicine-Psychiatry Residency program, and a crew of dedicated volunteers helped get the city’s winter homeless shelter up and running.  On Saturday, Nov. 17, in just six hours, the team screened 225 shelter guests. Two were sent to the emergency room and all other medical issues were addressed on site.

“First of all, we do the right thing: we take care of everyone, immediately.  If we can serve them reasonably in a clinic setting, the guests walk into the shelter with, among other things, their medications and a flu shot…and we potentially curtail emergency room visits,” said McCahill. 

McCahill noted San Diego’s aging homeless population.  “An aging population is more apt to have multiple medical problems.  Sadly, the condition these people are in, many newly homeless, is often directly related to a lack of access to healthcare.” 

McCahill’s life work is dedicated to the medical and psychiatric needs of the homeless community and those with no access to health care. 

“Dr. McCahill is truly a community professor,” said Dr. Jim Dunford, professor of emergency medicine, UCSD School of Medicine, and medical director, City of San Diego.  “Programs such as her combined residency program are going to be pivotal to future planning for homelessness.” 

Saturday’s all-out effort included UCSD Medical Center physicians and residents; faculty members and students from the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy; students from UCSD’s Healthcare Opportunities, Preparation and Empowerment (HOPE) program; Point Loma Nazarene nursing students; and staff from the community clinic at St. Vincent de Paul Village.

The team will make follow up visits throughout the winter season, providing ongoing care for those who might not otherwise get medical help.