LAS VEGAS (FOX5) —As a heat wave continues across the Las Vegas valley, a street medicine team from Hope Christian Health Center is going directly to people living outside to provide medical care.
Jennifer Austin, a longtime registered nurse and program manager for the center’s street medicine team, worked alongside a nursing student near Nellis and Sahara Tuesday, where they helped at least three people.
MORE ON FOX5: More dangerous heat for Las Vegas expected through Saturday
Care delivered on the street
One woman had been living on and off the street for about two years and had been outside throughout the entire heat wave. She was curled up on a cushion and had a sleeping bag and umbrella over her to stay out of the sun. Austin checked her blood pressure and a nursing student worked with a couple other people to make sure they were healthy.
“We just do the best we can to stay cool and survive,” the homeless woman said.
Austin and medical assistant also treated a man named Stephen, who got into an air-conditioned van while Austin cleaned a leg wound. A third patient, Rich, was treated for what he said was a spider bite to his finger. The team connected with a nurse practitioner over video and were working to obtain antibiotics for Rich. Because Rich does not have a phone, Austin planned to locate him later using an air tag to deliver the prescription.
“These guys are amazing. If it wasn’t for them, again, I don’t know where I’d be,” Rich said.
Outcomes and ongoing care
Before the end of the visit, the woman near Nellis and Sahara was able to contact her daughter, who picked her up to get her out of the heat. Austin attempted to place Stephen in a care facility but encountered some red tape obstacles. Austin and the nursing student later secured funding — including assistance from the nonprofit homeless advocacy group Feed My Sheep — enough to get Stephen and his dog Milo a place to stay for at least a couple of weeks.
Austin says Hope Christian Health Center is a federally qualified health center, which provides funding to treat patients who are underinsured or uninsured. In 2025, Austin and staff made more than 7,900 contacts and brought 73 new patients into ongoing primary care treatment. And also completed 549 billable visits.
Jennifer Austin says she previously volunteered for other homeless advocacy groups, including Feed My Sheep, which held events to feed people and provide resources. Being a registered nurse, Austin was asked to check out people for different medical conditions as part of her volunteer efforts. She later connected with Hope Christian Health Center when it held feet washing events and decided she wanted to work for the group. She then became part of the center and set up the street medical team.
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