$88K Cal State Grant Will Aid The Desert's Most Vulnerable Population

PALM DESERT, CA — Over $88,000 in grant funding was given to Cal State San Bernardino's Palm Desert Nursing programs. The funds were aimed at improving access to medical services for unsheltered individuals throughout the Coachella Valley, while providing hands-on clinical training for nursing students.

"We are proud to support the Nursing Street Medicine Program with grant funds," Desert Healthcare District and Foundation CEO Chris Christensen said in their response to the award Thursday.

Nursing faculty and students involved in the program will deliver free basic healthcare to patients, such as health assessments, wound care, and chronic disease management, and hand out essential supplies when needed. And they are often needed.

"They also provide supplies including hygiene products, hand sanitizer, face masks, condoms, ointments, bandages, clothing, shoes, socks, lotion, backpacks and sunscreen, among other items," a spokesperson for the program said.

The students meet the most vulnerable residents of Coachella Valley, where they live, serving people in shelters, at homeless encampments, in senior housing communities, migrant workers in the field and their homes, and inside cooling or warming centers.

You'll see their signature tent, which becomes an impromptu clinic, manned by the students as they listen to patients and assist with care in various ways.

The Nursing Street Medicine team provides a valuable service at no cost to those who are most economically disadvantaged and in need of necessities. The program at the university aims to expand the number of registered nurses in Coachella Valley with experience in engaging vulnerable populations. Officials said the primary objective is to teach empathy to nursing students.

"This funding enables us to deepen our impact in the community while preparing our students to lead with compassion, cultural competence and a commitment to health equity," nurse faculty member Diane Vines said. "This grant represents more than financial support -- it's a vote of confidence in our students, our faculty and our mission to serve."