ORANGE, Calif. (March 6, 2025) — The CalOptima Health Board of Directors approved expanding its Street Medicine Program to the City of Santa Ana, building on the successful operation of programs in Garden Grove, Costa Mesa and Anaheim. When it launches later this year, the program will provide primary care and social services to the unhoused on the streets in partnership with the city.
Thus far, the CalOptima Health Street Medicine Program has served nearly 600 individuals, and the addition of Santa Ana will enable vulnerable people to experience the benefits of the impactful program. “The fundamental idea of Street Medicine is to meet individuals experiencing homelessness where they are,” said Michael Hunn, CalOptima Health Chief Executive Officer. “Our program seeks to build trust with our members and then deliver life-changing care with the goal of navigating individuals to permanent housing.”
“I am proud to support the approval of this vital program, bringing compassionate care to Santa Ana, where it will serve some of our most vulnerable residents,” said Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who represents Santa Ana on the Orange County Board of Supervisors and serves as Vice Chair of the CalOptima Health Board. “This program will provide medical care directly to those living on the streets while connecting them to critical services that support their long-term health and well-being. By meeting people where they are, we are upholding CalOptima Health’s mission to treat every member with dignity and respect while creating pathways to stability and hope.”
“Santa Ana is proud to be working collaboratively with CalOptima Health to reach the unhoused in our community,” said Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua. “We have robust existing resources to serve this population, and we are fortunate to be adding CalOptima Health’s proven approach to community-based health care and social services, helping residents get healthier and move toward a future off the street.”
CalOptima Health’s Street Medicine Program is a key part of its comprehensive strategy to address homelessness, recognizing that housing insecurity directly affects health. Other strategies include awarding grants for housing development, increasing housing services provider capacity and creating CalOptima Health’s first-ever Street Medicine Support Center, a 52-room facility in Garden Grove that will open in 2026.