STOCKTON, Calif. — Everyday Heroes are all around us and they’re making a difference in your communities. John Bartell highlight those Everyday Heroes, who are nominated by viewers and organizations. Today, John introduces us to Randy Pinnelli, director of the Care Link Healthcare for the Homeless, a branch of Community Medical Centers, a non-profit for underserved communities.
Community Health Centers are a network of 21 neighborhood health centers in San Joaquin, Solano and Yolo counties. When there is nowhere else to turn for medical treatment, Stockton’s homeless population can rely on the outreach team with Care Link.
“We do family practice, pediatrics, OBGYN. We cover the whole spectrum of any age,” Pinnelli said.
The Care Link mobile clinic plays a big role for the healthcare of the homeless population. Pinnelli and his team of outreach and medical professional make rounds to a number of Stockton homeless encampments and treats thousands of people every year. Right now, they are seeing an increase of homeless as living costs increase throughout California.
“We’ve seen a lot of seniors," Pinnelli said. "Its amazing how many we’ve seen in their 70s and 80s that are in the shelters or in the streets because they can’t afford to live anywhere."
From their mobile clinic, they can treat wounds and write prescriptions, but often times the team’s biggest job is listening.
“Its really about building relationships. Sometimes they need simple things like water or maybe they lost their ID,” Pinnelli said
If you want to nominate an Everyday Hero send an email to John Bartell jbartell@abc10.com and put Everyday Hero in the subject line. Feel free to send pictures and or web links in the submission.
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