For over two decades, Dr. Jim Withers has been a hero to the homeless in Philadelphia. Now he’s about to be yours.
Dr. Jim Withers traded his scrubs in for a grungy jacket and baseball cap, and took to the streets of Philly with a simple idea: the best way to care for the homeless is to treat them where they live.
Before his first night out on the streets, Withers got two pieces of advice: "Don't dress like a doctor, and don't act like a jerk."
Over two decades later, he is still following that advice as he teaches medical students and volunteers how to care for patients living on the street.
Equipped with splits, bandages, cough medicine, inhalers, vitamins, antibiotics and pain relievers, Withers and his team travel through the streets of Philadelphia five nights a week. He estimates he’s treated over 1200 homeless a year since 1992.
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