Community Corner
Doctors with Sole
Rush Physicians and Med Students Provide Shoes and Critical Foot Care to Chicago's West Side Homeless
In the ultimate act of service during Chicago’s cold holiday season, Drs. Simon Lee, Johnny Lin and Kamran Hamid, foot and ankle surgeons at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR), and a group of orthopedic residents, physician assistants and medical students from Rush University Medical Center, will give free shoes, socks and foot care to homeless men and women at a shelter on Chicago’s west side. “Our Hearts to Your Soles”has been able to provide shoes and medical care to more than 40,000 people across the United States over the past decade.
Facing extreme cold in the winter without adequate footwear, homeless individuals often suffer painful foot conditions. Lacking access to the proper medical care or even clean, dry socks, Chicago’s homeless develop conditions including frostbite, fungus, lesions, and gangrene. Serious bacterial skin infectionsare highly prevalent as are blood clots, ulcers and fractures.
Extreme weather conditions leave Chicago’s homeless population in need of medical attention and treatment. A recent study reports that only 26% of homeless individuals report ever having a foot examination by a medical provider. The MOR team of doctors are stepping up again for the 12th year in a row to serve this population and provide the care they need.
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An analysis by Chicago Coalition for the Homeless reported that 80,384 Chicagoans were homeless in 2016. According to a recent study, the prevalence of foot problems among homeless reaches up to 65%.
The mission of “Our Hearts to Your Soles” is to provide the less fortunate people across the United States with shoes and free foot examinations. They believe that proper foot health is an essential part of everyday life and important to an overall health maintenance program.
Dr. Simon Lee, a MOR foot/ankle surgeon, began the Chicago chapter of the program in 2007 and since then, has been joined by MOR partners, Drs. Johnny Lin and Kamran Hamid. In addition to the medical screenings, the shelter clients will also receive free shoes donated by Red Wing Shoe Company.