The UW Health Yahara Clinic Community Council, a group comprised of clinic team members who oversee and organize service projects, selects a deserving organization each year for its annual donation drive. This year’s choice, Madison Area Care of the Homeless (MACH) OneHealth / Madison Street Medicine (MSM), holds special meaning for clinic physician Dr. James Ircink.
“I have been a part of our street medical outreach team since its inception when I was a medical student,” shares Ircink. “The group is comprised of community volunteers and provides healthcare services, and much more, to members of our community experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness.”
From left: Madison Street Medicine Outreach Nurse Joanna Anderson, and students Marissa McCarney (nursing) and Ava Grotting (pre-med), join Dr. James Ircink to load donated supplies.
MACH OneHealth/MSM was formed in 2015 to help people in the Madison area experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity obtain essential medical care. Today, more than 65 active volunteers as well as 10 paid full-time and five part-time staff members provide a variety of services at the Dairy Drive Sheltered Campground, Men’s Emergency Drop-in Shelter, and The Beacon Day Shelter. Volunteers like Ircink also conduct street rounds out in the community.
The donations gathered at Yahara Clinic include non-perishable food, diapers, and personal hygiene items and were distributed directly to the patients and patrons MACH OneHealth/MSN serves. The donations have had an immediate impact on the Madison area’s most vulnerable community members.
“Yahara Clinic conducts a donation drive like this every year to recognize the importance of giving back to the community and recognizing that whole person healthcare extends beyond clinic walls,” says Ircink.
Visit MACH OneHealth / MSM for more information about how to donate or volunteer.
Published: August 2023