Doctors of the World USA advocates for equal access to healthcare for all people across the United States
Since 2018, Doctors of the World USA has worked in the field of gun violence prevention
We support the field of urban violence prevention by developing programming, resources, and training opportunities with community partners. By using a public health led social justice approach, DotW works with partners to identify effective methods, interventions and approaches to reduce violence in American communities.
Doctors of the World identifies unmet needs within the field of urban violence prevention, including areas where we can be most effective addressing gaps in service delivery.
We began our work in the US with an emergency response to Hurricane Sandy in 2012
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the north eastern United States. It was one of the largest Atlantic hurricanes on record, killing 233 people in its wake and costing billions of dollars worth of damage to infrastructure.
Doctors of the World USA, based in New York City, quickly mobilized after the storm to assess the disruption to healthcare services in the city.
In the Rockaways, Queens we found hundreds of individuals unable to obtain medical supplies and unable to access much-needed prescription medications to treat serious chronic illnesses.
The Rockaways, an isolated area of New York City with high rates of poverty and chronic disease, had long been plagued by inadequate health services, but the situation became significantly worse after Hurricane Sandy.
We began conducting emergency home visits in the months following the hurricane. In order to address the long term medical needs of the Rockaway community, we opened a free healthcare clinic in October 2013 to offer primary care to those in need – regardless of their insurance or immigration status. We served 250 patients, connecting them to our volunteer doctors, and received over 700 visits.
CONNECTING HISPANIC & LATINO COMMUNITIES TO HEALTHCARE
In July 2017, we launched Mi Salud, an Interactive Voice Response/IVR and SMS/text service that connected people to life-saving, life-changing free or low cost medical care in their own neighborhoods in New York City.
The Affordable Care Act increased access to health insurance for many, but a significant number of adults in the US – around 32 million – are still uninsured. Owing to various factors, such as immigration status, the lack of insurance is disproportionately high in Hispanic and Latino communities – which make up 19% of the US population and 30% of the uninsured.
We launched Mi Salud with Spanish and English language options to bridge this healthcare gap by connecting Hispanic and Latino patients in need of care with the NYC clinics providing it. By calling a number, and following the prompts, users had the option to hear a listing of clinics near them or to have the list sent to them via a text to their cell phone.