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Samuel Halajian, a physician assistant who treats the unhoused population in Saratoga Springs, says it\u2019s important to build trust by listening.<\/p>\n
Will Waldron\/Times Union<\/p>\n
Halajian is seen outside the Saratoga Community Health Center office where he works.<\/p>\n
Will Waldron\/Times Union<\/p>\n
SARATOGA SPRINGS\u00a0\u2014 Once a week, Samuel Halajian parks his car on the outskirts of the city, grabs his medical bag and hikes into the woods.<\/p>\n
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There, he seeks out those who try to stay hidden \u2014 the unhoused people living in tents, shielded by trees, just trying to survive. Halajian is welcome among them because they know he is there to help by offering free medical care, no strings attached.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI meet them where they are at,\u201d said Halajian, a physician assistant who works out of the Saratoga Community Health Center. \u201cWhen they see I\u2019m trying to help, trust follows.\u201d<\/p>\n
This street outreach is a perfect fit for the 41-year-old. As a paramedic and U.S. Army Reserve medic, he is comfortable treating injuries in the field. He said it suits him too because he likes to feel unrestrained, free from the 15-minute patient visits at the office. He can sit and talk with patients and gauge their needs beyond medicine.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will ask them where they are getting their water from, how are they doing their laundry,\u201d Halajian said. \u201cI leave the space open without jumping right in. I want to get to know them and find common ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once trust is established, Halajian gets to work. He said he sees a lot of tick-borne illnesses, heat stroke, skin and soft tissue infections, parasitic illnesses and health problems related to exposure.<\/p>\n
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Out in the field, he can also test for COVID-19 and check glucose levels, provide injections to ease inflammation, suture a wound and place orders for medical tests like imaging and blood work. And he can monitor and help manage chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my medical aid bag, I bring common prescriptions, so they don\u2019t have to go to the pharmacy and pay for medications,\u201d\u00a0Halajian said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Halajian shows off the medical kit with bandages, medications and more that he carries with him on the days he plans to care for Saratoga Springs\u2019 unhoused population.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Saratoga Hospital<\/p>\n
Halajian also noted that more than half of the unhoused patients he encounters have co-occurring mental health or substance use disorders. He explained that many of those issues are combined with HIV, hepatitis B and C, asthma, heart disease, dental problems and tuberculosis.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve seen some people who are in very bad shape,\u201d he said. \u201cI have to convince them to go to the emergency department and most of the time they will go. So many have had bad experiences with health care. I\u2019m trying to introduce them to a little more understanding, where there is no judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The outreach effort to the unhoused population, however, is costly. It got started during the pandemic when the federal government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which included $4 billion to address the virus among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance, as well as to mitigate pandemic-related impacts on that population.<\/p>\n
That funding prompted a multiagency effort in Saratoga County. Led by CAPTAIN Community Human Services in Clifton Park, the program also included Saratoga Hospital and its Community Health Center along with Shelters of Saratoga, RISE Housing and Support Services, and Healing Springs.<\/p>\n
Considering Halajian\u2019s experience, he was asked to lead the hospital\u2019s effort to find and treat unhoused people.\u00a0He said he sees the effort as \u201cone of the silver linings from the pandemic.\u201d But at the start, he admitted, \u201cI had no idea what it would look like. I dove in and went from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In the early days, he went to shelters and looked for those resting on the sidewalk. The outreach soon expanded to visits to the encampments.<\/p>\n
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Halajian visits residents of homeless encampments, like this one in Saratoga Springs, to provide medical care for those who live there.<\/p>\n
Lori Van Buren\/Times Union<\/p>\n