LAS VEGAS — The Southern Nevada Health District’s Street Medicine team delivered heat mitigation resources and medical care to unhoused individuals in Las Vegas on July 6, 2026. The outreach effort targeted people experiencing homelessness who often face barriers accessing traditional healthcare, particularly during Southern Nevada’s extreme summer temperatures.

During the July 6 visit, team members tested Anthony Tyson’s blood pressure and temperature at Siegfried & Roy Park, near Harry Reid International Airport, where he has lived under a park shelter for about two years. Tyson, 62, has lived with high blood pressure for years and relies on the team’s regular visits to manage his condition. Healthcare workers from the Street Medicine team locate Tyson every few weeks to check his blood pressure and refill his medication.

Tyson’s path to homelessness began after he spent years running a landscaping business in Connecticut. Addiction upended his life, leading him to enter drug rehabilitation in California. His health insurance expired during treatment, and he eventually became homeless, making his way to Las Vegas.

“Rehab was extremely successful,” Tyson said. He added that the team’s visits have helped him stay on his medication, and when asked if he could manage his chronic condition without them, he replied, “Probably not.” Tyson does not have a car or reliable transportation, making traditional clinic visits difficult.

The four-person Street Medicine team operates mobile outreach throughout the Las Vegas Valley, driving into parks, encampments, and vacant lots on outreach days. They bring primary healthcare directly to patients using blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, test tubes for sexually transmitted disease testing, and backpacks instead of examination rooms. The team treats conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, skin infections, and wounds. Nurse practitioner Long Tran unloads medical equipment while community health workers greet patients.

Tran can prescribe and refill medications, perform testing, and transport or connect patients to the Southern Nevada Community Health Center in Las Vegas. “We see them for whatever acute need they have,” Tran said. “If they require chronic care for like high blood pressure or diabetes, we can initiate the treatment and then recommend following up with our brick and mortar team at the health center.” Patients can establish long-term primary care at the health center while the Street Medicine team continues field check-ins.

Since its launch in November 2025, the Street Medicine team has treated more than 180 people and completed over 270 patient visits, including dozens of follow-ups. During summer months, the team distributes water and other heat mitigation supplies to help patients cope with triple-digit temperatures. Care for patients is usually covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

In May 2026, the Clark County Board of Commissioners approved a $490,000 grant to expand the Street Medicine team’s capacity. The funding will allow the team to add a nurse, a medical assistant, and a contracted behavioral health provider, enhancing its ability to deliver comprehensive care to a vulnerable population that often cannot access medical services through conventional channels.