HEAL Omaha

10/18/2026

Earlier this month, HEAL Omaha team members Dr. Bob Muelleman, Dr. Dalton Nelsen, and Melissa Neuenfeldt, RN traveled to Halifax, Nova Scotia for the International Street Medicine Symposium. Spending several days alongside street medicine providers from around the globe was a powerful reminder of why we do this work—and offered valuable insights to bring back home to Omaha. 🌍📍

A central takeaway from the symposium was the idea that street medicine starts with simple, human recognition: telling someone, "You are worth showing up for." Whether it’s adapting care around a patient’s real-world barriers rather than expecting them to fit a rigid system, or measuring our success through trust and dignity rather than just numbers on a spreadsheet, the goal is always to meet people where they are and walk alongside them.

Healthcare isn’t just about treating an illness; it’s about restoring presence, agency, and hope. We are so grateful to our team for bringing these global best practices back to our patients right here in Omaha! ❤️

10/04/2026

Yesterday was a beautiful day.

We began with a mix of excitement and nerves for the re-launch of our Open Air Clinic. We went in with a high-level plan, but we’ve learned that the key to doing the most good is staying flexible. People navigating the daily chaos of a survival situation must stay focused on surviving—it’s up to us to adapt to what they tell us they need.

Initially, we designed a patient flow mimicking traditional brick-and-mortar clinics: check-in, paperwork, vital signs, medical history, provider visit. But as we talked, we agreed: no one should have to do any of that just to speak with a medical provider.

How can we ask as little as possible from those we serve and allow them the dignity of choice at every step?

Don’t want to share your real name? No problem! What would you like us to call you?
Don’t want your vital signs checked? No problem. Maybe next time.
Don’t feel comfortable signing a consent form, or just need supplies/have a quick question? Sure thing! How can we help?

We came stocked with what we thought would be useful, and left with a list of things people directly asked for that we didn’t have today.
There are so many indignities forced upon people experiencing homelessness. Today we heard about an older man who had an incontinent episode and was arrested, naked, while trying to clean himself up. We heard about a woman with a mobility disability who watched police throw away everything she owned because she couldn't cross the street in time—her wheelchair wheel was stuck. We heard story after story of people being told to "move along" with nowhere to go, denied even the basic right to exist in public spaces.

About an hour into our setup, several people came to our tent asking to have their blood pressure checked. We can’t know for sure, but it felt like the reading wasn't what they were really after. What they needed was a chance to sit down and be heard.

So, we took a few 30-minute blood pressure checks. And we invited every single person back next week so we could check in again.

The single greatest thing we can do to improve health outcomes is connect people to stable housing. We didn’t have apartment keys in our bags today. But the second greatest thing we can offer is to listen, present choices, and—for a few minutes—treat people with the deep dignity they are so routinely denied.

09/21/2026

This week, a group of our incredible HEAL Omaha volunteers gathered to tackle one of the toughest challenges our community is facing right now.

As housing instability and displacement continue to rise across Omaha, many of our unhoused neighbors are being forced to move further into the margins. Places where folks used to gather safely are shifting, making it harder for our street medicine teams to locate the people we care for.

We realized we need to expand our approach: when we can’t find our patients, we have to make it as easy as possible for them to find us.

That’s how the idea for our Open Air Clinic model was born. Our team spent hours mapping out ways to create consistent, easily accessible, and welcoming outdoor care hubs where anyone can walk up, grab a warm smile, and get the medical care or supplies they need—no appointment or address required. The planning team face the additional barrier of having no funding for this work.

It’s a huge undertaking, but seeing our volunteers bring so much heart, creativity, and determination to this design session reminded us why we do this work. We’re adapting because our neighbors deserve care that meets them exactly where they are.

We can’t wait to share more as this project grows. Thank you for standing with us as we learn, adapt, and show up for Omaha.

09/13/2026

We were on the streets six times this week, meeting the needs our patients told us were important to them.

A person with diabetes may be more concerned about managing their wounds than managing their blood sugar. You know what? That’s okay. That’s where we start.

Maybe someone with high blood pressure wants our help with hip pain. You know what? We can help with that. We can start there.

Every immediate need we can meet is an open door. By consistently showing up, listening carefully, and respecting autonomy, we earn trust. We can build from there. There may be an opportunity tomorrow to work on the patient’s next priority—but the patient decides what that priority is.

One of the challenges of providing healthcare on the street is finding space for private conversations between patients and healthcare providers. This week, we explained to the neighbors of the person we were caring for that everyone deserves the opportunity to speak privately with their healthcare provider. They immediately understood, stepped up, and managed themselves as a group to create that space.

That is patient-led care.

We work with the people we serve as a healthcare team—and the people we serve are the ones in charge.

08/22/2026

Today, HEAL Omaha volunteers had the privilege of serving community members at the Magis Clinic Community Health Fair!

The Magis Clinic, a student-run free clinic associated with Creighton University, shares HEAL Omaha’s commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality healthcare to people who face barriers to care. Both organizations believe in meeting people with dignity, building trust and helping develop the next generation of healthcare professionals into thoughtful advocates and agents of change.

We are deeply grateful to the Magis Clinic team for inviting HEAL Omaha to participate and for creating an opportunity for our volunteers to serve alongside Creighton students and other community partners. When organizations with a shared mission come together, we can reach more people and build a healthier, more compassionate Omaha.

08/11/2026

There is an important difference between patient-first care and patient-led care.

Patient-first care asks, “What can we do for you?”

Patient-led care asks, “What matters to you—and how can we walk alongside you?”

The people we serve have often fallen through every gap in every system intended to help them. Many have learned, through painful experience, that institutions may judge them, dismiss them, make decisions for them, or disappear when their lives become complicated.

They do not need us to arrive with all the answers. They need us to be authentic. They need people willing to sit down, listen without judgment, respect their choices, and remain present—even when progress does not follow a timetable or look the way we expected.

Patient-led care does not mean abandoning our clinical knowledge. It means offering that knowledge with humility and allowing each patient’s priorities, experiences, and autonomy to guide the work.

Trust is not a prerequisite for care. Building trust is part of the care.

Every honest conversation, every promise kept, and every moment in which someone feels genuinely heard can begin to repair a person’s relationship with healthcare and other mainstream systems. That renewed trust creates opportunities for connection, treatment, stability, and healing.

Sometimes healing begins with medicine. Often, it begins when someone finally believes: “You see me. You hear me. And you are not giving up on me.”

That is patient-led care. That is street medicine.

07/24/2026

Every day, HEAL Omaha’s teams work on the same streets as law enforcement, firefighters, EMS professionals, outreach workers, and countless others who are committed to serving our community. While we often share the same spaces, we each have very different roles—and those roles matter.

As our street medicine program has grown to six days a week with multiple teams in the field, we’ve found ourselves encountering more emergencies. Most of these situations have nothing to do with why we were there in the first place, but they remind us of an important lesson: good intentions alone are not enough. Sometimes, people trying to help can unintentionally make an emergency scene more difficult for those who are trained and tasked with managing it.

That is why, as part of our upcoming team training, HEAL Omaha volunteers will learn directly from professionals with real-world experience providing emergency services in community settings. We want our teams to understand not only how to help, but when to help—and just as importantly, when the best way to serve is by supporting emergency responders, creating space for them to do their jobs, and avoiding becoming an obstacle.

Street medicine, law enforcement, fire, EMS, public health, and outreach are not competing missions. They are complimentary ones. We all share the same ultimate goal: improving public health and safety. The greatest impact happens when each sector understands its unique role, respects the expertise of its partners, and works in coordinated, aligned, and clearly defined ways.

Strong communities are built on strong partnerships. Building cross-sector relationships with mutual trust, open communication, and clearly understood boundaries isn’t just good practice—it’s essential. When every organization brings its unique strengths to the table while respecting the work of others, the people we serve receive the best possible care.

Thank you to our emergency services partners for everything you do. We look forward to learning from you and continuing to build the collaborative relationships that make our community healthier, safer, and stronger.

07/22/2026

07/10/2026

🐾 Our hearts are so full after our HEAL Omaha Dog Bar Fundraiser. 🐾

There truly aren’t enough words to express how grateful we are for everyone who spent part of their day supporting our Pet Fund. It was more than just a fundraiser, it was a day filled with compassion, connection, education, and a shared belief that no one should have to choose between their own well-being and the pet they love.

Because of your incredible generosity through our silent auction, professional pet photos, and drink donations, we raised over $2,000 for the HEAL Omaha Pet Fund! ❤️🐶 Every dollar raised will help keep people and their beloved companions together by providing food, veterinary care, supplies, and other essentials during times of housing instability and crisis.

We want to extend our deepest thanks to: 💙 Every person who donated silent auction items and everyone who placed bids. Your generosity made a tremendous impact.

📸 Angie, for donating your time and incredible talent to capture so many beautiful memories.

🤝 Threshold CoC Street Outreach team and Lone Tree Animal Care for sharing valuable resources and helping educate our community.

🐕 Our vendor Donnette at Cozy Counselor Pets!

🐶 Omaha Dog Bar and Eden, thank you for believing in our mission, helping bring this event to life, and generously opening your space to make it all possible.

Events like this remind us that when a community comes together, incredible things happen. Your kindness doesn’t just raise money, it gives hope.

If you’d still like to support the HEAL Omaha Pet Fund, it’s not too late: ❤️ https://www.healomaha.org/donate

We’re also accepting new or gently used pet supplies, including food, treats, toys, leashes, beds, crates, and other essentials. If you’d like to donate items, please leave a comment or send us a DM.

From all of us at HEAL Omaha and from every person and pet whose lives will be touched by your generosity. We couldn’t do this work without you.

07/02/2026

Welcome to the Team, Lisa!

We are excited to officially welcome Lisa Vukov to HEAL Omaha as our third paid employee!

Lisa brings decades of experience in the homeless services sector, and she hit the ground running on her very first day, learning how we make the magic that is HEAL Omaha happen.

With Lisa joining our team, our paid workforce has increased by 300%—a major milestone for our growing organization and another step toward expanding our impact in the community.

While Lisa’s primary role will be behind the scenes, helping keep our administrative operations running smoothly, she’ll also be doing what nearly every HEAL Omaha employee and volunteer does: spending time in the field serving our patients. We firmly believe there is no substitute for personally knowing the people we serve. Those relationships help us make better decisions, deliver more compassionate care, and ensure our work is always guided by the real needs of our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

Please join us in welcoming Lisa to the HEAL Omaha family. We’re thrilled to have her experience, compassion, and dedication on this journey with us! 💙