NYC Health + Hospitals Street Health Outreach + Wellness Program Enhances Point-of-Care Medical Services
Availability of point-of care lab testing, ultrasound, and blood draw further improve SHOW teams’ ability to evaluate and manage patient needs in the field Since April 2021, teams have provided over 275,000 engagements with New Yorkers historically disconnected from care or experiencing homelessness SHOW teams have connected more than 1,000 individuals to specialized primary care with the public health care system’s Primary Care Safety Net Clinics
Jul 31, 2025
NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that its Street Health Outreach + Wellness (SHOW) mobile program has further enhanced its street-based primary care capacities with the addition of point-of-care lab testing (POCT), point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), and blood draw services onboard its five mobile health units. SHOW clinicians work across New York City to offer medical, social, and behavioral health services to New Yorkers historically disconnected from care and those experiencing homelessness. These new medical services will further improve SHOW teams’ ability to evaluate and manage patient needs and reduce their barriers to critically needed care. Since the program launched in April 2021, SHOW teams have provided over 275,000 engagements with New Yorkers, forging relationships with thousands of patients and connecting them to specialty, harm reduction, social services, and primary care at the public hospital system’s five Primary Care Safety Net (PCSN) clinics.
“When we came into office, COVID-19 was spiking and we knew a key piece of keeping New Yorkers safe was keeping them healthy, and to do that, our administration prioritized bringing health care to those who need it most living on our streets,” said New York City Mayor Adams. “Expanding services onboard our SHOW vans is yet another example of our deep commitment to investing in public health, especially for our most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach New Yorkers. Each day, SHOW teams from NYC Health + Hospitals do the important work of delivering compassionate care across the five boroughs. We thank them for their service and for helping our administration achieve its mission of becoming a safer city.”
“The SHOW program is emblematic of how our city goes above and beyond to reach out to our fellow New Yorkers,” said Deputy Mayor for Health + Human Service Suzanne Miles-Gustave. “These vans bring care to those in need and help connect people to a broader continuum of services. Thank you to the dedicated teams that have made more than 275,000 engagements over the last few years.”
“SHOW and the Street Medicine model are all about bringing services to where people are, and breaking down the barriers to ongoing primary care,” said SHOW Program Director Andy Cook. “With these clinical enhancements, the care we provide is that much more comprehensive, and our teams can further build engagement, trust, and outcomes with patients who are experiencing homelessness.”
“Street medicine is all about being able to provide high yield medical services in that moment of engagement,” said SHOW Medical Director and Medical Director and Co-Founder of NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Primary Care Safety Net Clinic Dr. Yinan Lan. “These effective engagement moments can lead to years of healthcare continuity, making the difference in someone’s health trajectory in life. The point of care ultrasounds allow us to extend our physical exam tools far beyond the traditional scope in making these street medicine moments impactful.”
“With visionary leadership provided by SVP Kenra Ford, who leads Clinical Services Operations, our team has been able to harness handheld ultrasounds on our SHOW mobile units to scan patients and improve care in the field,” said System Chief, Strategy & Special Projects for NYC Health + Hospitals Clinical Services Operations Leon Boudourakis, MD, MHS. “These new services allow for a more comprehensive assessment and diagnosis for our patients, just like we do in the hospital setting, which can save our patients time, money, anxiety, and lives.”
The Street Health Outreach + Wellness (SHOW) program deploys a fleet of five mobile health units across New York City to meet unhoused and street homeless New Yorkers — individuals who are historically disconnected from the continuum of care — where they are, and build engagement and trust through care and services. Access is provided in real-time, with no appointments needed, no insurance requirements, and no cost to the patient. Patients are assessed for urgently needed care, including wound care and vaccinations, and offered physical and mental health screenings, harm reduction education, and social services. SHOW teams — which comprise a medical provider, social worker, addiction counselor, peer counselor, registered nurse, patient care associate, community health worker, and clerk — provide services from the SHOW unit and walk block-by-block to offer services to those living on the street, often in locations only accessible on foot like parks and subways.
SHOW teams work in concert with the public hospital system’s four Primary Care Safety Net (PCSN) at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Elmhurst, Lincoln, and Woodhull to provide longitudinal, multidisciplinary care to patients experiencing homelessness and patients with complex medical, behavioral health, and social needs. By coordinating care between teams with SHOW and PCSN, clinicians are able to meet patients where they are, address medical issues before they result in emergency room visits and hospital admissions, build relationships of trust with historically stigmatized populations, and establish longitudinal care to drive positive outcomes in both health and housing.
With the expansion of POCT labs, blood draw labs, and POCUS onboard all SHOW mobile units, clinicians will have enhanced capacities to evaluate, diagnose, and manage patient care wherever patients want to receive that care. Available POCT lab tests include COVID-19, HIV, A1c, blood glucose, and Hepatitis C. Blood draw labs include an array of tests, including a basic metabolic panel, HIV, Hep C confirmatory testing, and more, and are sent to NYC Health + Hospitals’ lab partner for analysis.
In addition, POCUS services will enhance clinicians’ physical examination and enable a more comprehensive physical assessment. Using a handheld probe and tablet, clinicians will be able to scan for concerns such as skin and soft tissue injuries, bladder, and lung function. With this service enhancement, the level of comprehensive primary care that patients have in a clinic can be provided on the SHOW unit or even the street.
Since the program launched in April 2021, SHOW teams have performed over 275,000 engagements, 35,000 medical consultations, and 33,000 behavioral health engagements. Since the SHOW program began working with the public health system’s Safety Net clinics, it has connected over 1,600 patients to primary care, specialty care, or substance use treatment. In addition, over half of patients who have received medical consultations have received care at a SHOW unit two or more times. To date, SHOW teams have distributed over 90,000 hygienical kits, 90,000 vaccinations, 5,500 Narcan nasal sprays, 3,500 fentanyl test strips, and 2,000 xylazine test strips.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
