JANUARY 2026
Street Medicine helps address cold weather challenges
Recent severe cold temperatures present risks of frostbite and other cold-related conditions to the unhoused individuals in our communities. “Long-term unhoused people are somewhat better equipped to deal with frigid conditions,” says Kristina Kowatsch-Beyer MPH, BSN, RN, Manager, Street Medicine. “Individuals who are newly unhoused can be ill-prepared for being outdoors in the cold.”
Mount Carmel’s Street Medicine program provides no-cost urgent medical care to uninsured and underinsured individuals. Services are offered through mobile clinics and directly on the streets. Half of the individuals served are living in homelessness and need basic supplies to support survival and comfort.
“Our Street Medicine teams do all they can to get blankets, warm gloves, coats and other essential supplies that our patients may need. We are especially in need of heavy blankets and men’s coats. Handwarmers are in great demand, too,” says Kowatsch-Beyer.
“One of the best ways to help us get much-needed supplies is by supporting the Mount Carmel Foundation and designating your gift to Community Health & Well-Being, or even specifically to Street Medicine,” she adds. “The Foundation supports our teams who are working on the Mobile Medical Coach and at clinics throughout the community.”
Individuals and organizations also can contribute needed items to Street Medicine by visiting the program’s Amazon wishlist and making a purchase.
From hospital to home: healthy moms and babies are a top priority for Mount Carmel
At Mount Carmel St. Ann’s, more than 3,000 babies were delivered last year. Big plans to renovate the Women’s Health facilities on that campus are underway now. The $28.5 million upgrade includes private rooms for NICU families, an expanded midwife practice, respite space for families with hospitalized newborns, and new, low-intervention birth suites, among other improvements designed to enhance the patient experience and clinical excellence.
Beyond that initial hospital stay, Mount Carmel offers moms who deliver at any of the system’s hospitals extra support when they are home. For nearly 30 years, Welcome Home nurses have provided care to new parents and their infants after they leave the hospital.
“The home visits are an extension of your stay,” says Mary Jo Dickinson, director of operations, Community Health & Well-Being. “Over time, the length of a hospital stay for moms giving birth has been reduced, sometimes to 24 hours. While we provide a lot of inpatient education, there’s need for more support after mom and baby go home.”
In the last fiscal year, Welcome Home made more than 4,500 encounters with new moms and babies in central Ohio. Maternal and newborn health issues, infant feeding, safe sleep practices and environmental issues, such as tobacco exposure or firearm safety, are identified and addressed during these visits.
“If we have a healthier mom, we generally have a healthier baby,” says Mary Jo. “In fact, the health of our community can be measured in large part by the health of women in it. What we do to empower them to take care of themselves, as well as their family, is impactful.”
Welcome Home is supported by grants from the Mount Carmel Foundation, as well as other funders. The home visits are provided at no cost to the patients and is the only program of its kind in central Ohio.
Laura Carpenter’s Welcome Home story
Mount Carmel Street Medicine caseworker Laura Carpenter had her first child at Mount Carmel East in January of last year. Here’s what she had to say about her Welcome Home experience:
“I have been blessed to be a colleague of Community Health & Well-Being for nearly nine years, but this year I became their patient for the first time.
Nurse Lori came to my home when my daughter was 12 days old. Having her come to me was a gift in itself, because I truly did not know how to leave the house at this point! We had a bit of a scary birth, which left our daughter with low oxygen levels to the brain during delivery. Because of this, she spent a short time in the NICU and we were on the watch for seizures or any sort of delay.
Lori called me prior to the visit and had reviewed our daughter’s chart and knew this. She assisted me with breastfeeding, a weighted feed and just checked in on how we were doing. It was so reassuring to have a medical professional’s eyes on both of us, especially since all of this was new and so overwhelming!
The day before Lori came, I felt that I saw some seizure activity in our daughter and recorded it. I shared the videos with Lori, and our baby even exhibited some of the symptoms while Lori was present. Lori guided us through our next steps – she advised us, given her medical history, to go to our local urgent care and prepared us for the possibility of being sent to Nationwide Children’s Main Hospital. We ended up doing all of this and having a long night at the hospital, but thankfully all was okay. Lori called in the days to come to check in on us and offer another visit if we ever needed it.
Thankfully, we haven’t seen any more scares like this, but as I look back, I truly feel like Lori was an angel sent on that exact day to guide us through that moment! This visit was invaluable and provided so much comfort. I am thankful for this program and to work for a hospital system that provides such compassionate care and support to new moms at a time when we need it most. “
Joseph S. Winchell, MD, joins the Foundation’s Board of Trustees
Family practice physician, Dr. Joseph Winchell, MD, joined the Mount Carmel Board of Trustees earlier this month. Dr. Winchell is a member of the Mount Carmel Medical Group and practices in Pickerington. In addition to his appointment to the Foundation board, Dr. Winchell is the Medical Director of the Mount Carmel Medical Group and chair of its Governance Council. He earned his medical degree at The Ohio State University and completed his residency at the Mount Carmel Family Practice Residency Program. Welcome, Dr. Winchell!
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the following Mount Carmel Foundation Board members who have served our organization so well with their time, wisdom and talent. The following Board members concluded their service on December 31, 2025:
- Michael Curtin
- Dr. Kathryn Gardner
- Dr. Mark Hackman
- Rebecca Nelson
- Kevin Ryan