The Columbia-Harlem Homeless Medical Partnership (CHHMP) is a student-run clinic providing free and quality health services to the homeless community in West Harlem. This project was established in May 2007 by Columbia University medical students in partnership with the Center for Family and Community Medicine.



Operating from the basement of St. Mary's Episcopal Church at 126th Street and Old Broadway every Tuesday evening, the clinic provides the homeless, the uninsured and the local community with basic medical care, health education and referrals to a variety of social services.



Ten to twelve Columbia University medical students see patients under the supervision of CFCM faculty physicians Dr. Jim Spears or Dr. Susan Bowers-Johnson, with additional support from Family Medicine residents. To ensure continuity for students and patients, the same group of medical students, residents and attending physician commit to working at the clinic on a near weekly basis, with plenty of time for each patient encounter, and for students to take extensive social histories, which often lead to referrals for social services.



Health education is also an integral part of every visit. The precepting Family Medicine physician evaluates each patient and reviews and cosigns assessments prepared by the clinical team. Once a month, a staff member from a local community organization provides free rapid HIV testing at CHHMP.



In the addition to the provision of quality and continuous care, CHHMP is also focused on deepening the education of student-clinicians in learning about the health and social needs of the community, the challenges of providing healthcare to underserved populations and advocacy for these populations.



Topics for the student-run elective course at Columbia in homeless studies have included:

1. Homelessness through the patient's perspective
2. NYC homeless policy
3. Models of harm reduction in working with high risk populations
4. The exploration of other models of homeless health care

If you are interested in learning more about ways to support the efforts of CHHMP, please visit www.chhmp.org.