Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Funds Project at SVdP’s Washington and 28th Street Shelter
November 14, 2023
Tempe, Ariz. – Sonoran University of Health Sciences is excited to announce that, in partnership with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, it has opened a new medical clinic at SVdP’s Washington and 28th Street shelter (2739 E. Washington St.) in Phoenix. The project is made possible by a grant awarded by Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.
The project aims to increase the shelter residents’ access to basic healthcare, provide them with quality services and teach them preventive practices. Program features include:
During the project’s span, Sonoran University’s clinic will operate for 20 hours per week. This amounts to over 1,000 hours of services and over 2,000 patient visits.
The grant awarded by Piper Trust will support start-up costs to launch the clinic.
“This is the start of an exciting long-term partnership between our university and the incredible teams at St. Vincent de Paul,” said Paul Mittman, President & CEO of Sonoran University. “We’re already exploring the different ways we can reach SVdP’s other shelters and transitional housing programs; we’re eager to begin helping Arizona’s most vulnerable populations.”
“One of SVdP Washington Street shelter’s points of pride is the wraparound services it provides its residents,” said Jennifer Morgan, who serves as SVdP’s Interim Housing Community Training and Special Projects Manager. “This new clinic located right on site furthers access and our mission to help meet all our residents’ needs. It will be a game-changer for a population that often has struggled to access clinic care, putting their health at risk. Now, we can look forward to better health outcomes.”
The 200-person shelter provides holistic support to men and women who strive to overcome homelessness and move forward in their lives. Shelter guests live in the program full-time until they can move into a sustainable and suitable environment.
Sonoran University’s Community Health program serves multiple purposes, with the provision of quality healthcare to patients in need as its primary focus. It also plays a very important role in training the next generation of naturopathic doctors. First, it provides a mixture of patients presenting with acute and chronic clinical presentations. Second, it increases the diversity of patients encountered by students which will serve them throughout their careers.
For more information on Sonoran University and the community clinics, please visit www.sage.sonoran.edu
About Sonoran University of Health Sciences
Formerly known as Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Sonoran University shapes a healthier future through the healing power of nature. The University has three pillars: education, community engagement, and research. Sonoran University of Health Sciences shapes a healthier future by supporting students as they train to excel as healthcare professionals, by enhancing the health and well-being of our patients and communities, and by discovering effective treatments for humanity grounded in the healing power of nature.
Sonoran University’s Community Health Program is funded through donations from Sage Foundation for Health.
Sage Foundation is an Arizona Qualified Charitable Organization (QCO). Tax credit donations can be made at sage.sonoran.edu.
About Society of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to serving people in need and providing the community with the opportunity to serve. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix is the largest council in the country and has been feeding, clothing, housing, and healing central and northern Arizona families since 1946. It operates a network of more than 80 neighborhood food pantries, five charity dining rooms, transitional shelters, a resource center for the homeless, bill assistance and homelessness prevention programming, as well as a charity clinic with medical, dental and wellness care for the uninsured.
About Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Piper Trust’s grantmaking areas are healthcare, children, older adults, arts and culture, and religious organizations.
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