Downtown Phoenix is known for a lot of things — namely notable sporting event venues, theaters, an eclectic arts district and a professional/academic scene.
Amid the hustle-bustle and beauty that defines the downtown area, there are also a few concerns that need to be addressed.
Homelessness is one of them.
It’s everywhere in downtown Phoenix. And it needs to end.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine downtown was recently awarded a $50,000 grant by the Arizona Area Health Education Center to put toward homeless disease research and a clinic that serves the downtown homeless community.
Not only is this a huge step for the University of Arizona College of Medicine, but it’s a huge step for the entire downtown community. Homeless individuals who struggle to get adequate housing and health services on a daily basis will have specialized health care to help with certain ailments.
The specific program that will be administered is called “Management of Hypertension and Diabetes in the Homeless Population: A Pilot Study.”
There is a huge correlation between obesity and the rise in hypertension and diabetes. As such, a program that specializes in hypertension and diabetes will be a great use of funds, as many of those homeless individuals who suffer from these conditions might not have proper access to this specialized healthcare.
The American Heart Association reports that hypertension is twice as prevalent in the obese than those who are not obese. The report also shows that the prevalence of obesity has been increasing in the United States for at least the past two decades.
As obesity continues to rise over the decades, hypertension and diabetes are likely to become more mainstream problems at homeless shelters.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine says the grant will be used as part of the “Student Health Outreach for Wellness Clinic” or SHOW, which is essentially a collaboration of the University of Arizona, ASU, and Northern Arizona University students who will provide free health care and health education at the homeless shelters with the most traffic.
Related: Students of 3 universities host Health Fair for the Homeless; clinic to launch in October
I had the privilege of speaking with Tina Shepard, one of our very own ASU nutrition faculty members who is affiliated with the SHOW clinic.
“This collaboration between the three universities and multiple health professions is ground-breaking and extremely exciting,” Shepard said. “It’s wonderful that we have an opportunity to be a part of it. It’s going to help the homeless, and it’s going to be very useful to help educate future health professionals from the three universities as they get hands-on experience.”
From a research perspective, this will be a great opportunity as the University of Arizona College of Medicine plans to develop a registry of homeless patients with diabetes and hypertension to decide whether a collaborative type of approach is a more efficient way to tackle these health problems.
Another great thing about this initiative is the fact that it is so incredibly engaging to the downtown community. The College of Medicine plans to hold community awareness events and also publish the results of the study. There have been many initiatives promoting a greener downtown and a more active downtown, but this program is one that really promotes a more unified and caring downtown.
Homelessness is a community issue and needs to be addressed on a community platform. The U of A, ASU and NAU will be doing just that. We all owe these institutions a lot of gratitude for stepping up to the plate and tackling this problem with benefits on three fronts: community, research and education.
Stay healthy, my friends!
Contact the columnist at wshahid@asu.edu
