R. Taylor Scott, assistant professor of family and community medicine and clinical faculty advisor for Spartan Street Medicine, will be honored as the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness Volunteer Champion during the organization’s sixth annual Breakfast of Champions on May 29.
Scott is also associate program director of McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital’s family practice residency program and has a clinical practice on campus with the MSU HealthTeam. He also serves as McLaren’s osteopathic director of medical education.
Spartan Street Medicine is an initiative that is part of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Community Integrated Medicine student organization, which is dedicated to bridging the gap in health care for homeless community members in Lansing.
“For many patients, their past experiences with medical care have kept them from seeking help when it is needed,” said Graham Atkin, assistant professor at the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. “I have personally witnessed Dr. Scott’s expert demeanor help people on the street feel comfortable enough to allow medical care and even agree to be housed when Dr. Scott encouraged them that it was the healthy thing to do.”
Since its beginning, Spartan Street Medicine has held more than 40 drop-in clinics and nearly 20 outreach trips to Lansing streets to provide medical care for those experiencing homelessness. Through regular and direct outreach, volunteer medical students aim to overcome barriers to health by fostering relationships with patients and community partners.
“Spartan Street Medicine bridges the health care gap for many individuals who are living unsheltered in the Lansing area,” said Eric Hufnagel, executive director of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness. “Dr. Scott brings empathy to those who otherwise are weary of the system. His passion and commitment to bringing this care to the community’s most vulnerable populations is inspirational.”
The Breakfast of Champions is an annual event celebrating the accomplishments of the over 600 agencies working to end homelessness in Michigan. The Volunteer Champion is awarded to an individual or organization that exemplifies and embodies service to others through significant and meaningful volunteer efforts on behalf of people who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.