"To be able to care for people who feel alienated is one of the reasons I went in to medicine."

Margaret Allen, P.A., works in our Adult Clinic and also heads up RFHC's health care for the homeless program.

Every Friday morning Margaret Allen, P.A., sets up a mini-clinic in Free At Last's drop-in center in East Palo Alto. The homeless come for coffee or counseling and find that they can also get a physical exam and screening. Sometimes, Margaret takes her clinic on wheels to one of the local parks where homeless and unemployed gather.

With her clipped British accent and her very blond hair, Margaret seems "exotic" in East Palo Alto. But the difference in race and culture melt away quickly. She has an easy humor that puts people at ease; soon they drop their guard.

When it comes to "street-level" community medicine, Margaret is not a novice. She understands the needs of those living on the margin. She has worked in Chiapas, Mexico, then in San Jose, and now East Palo Alto. Given their tenuous lives, Margaret is careful to respect their boundaries. First she gains their trust, then they will come to the clinic for follow up treatment.

Margaret is also at ease in the academic realm where she's a volunteer teacher at the Stanford Primary Care Associate Program, the same program that she graduated from 12 years ago. This past year, students in Stanford's program recognized her talent, voting her "Teacher of the Year."

Margaret has a repertoire of tales from her years in community medicine. Here are two local tales drawn from her work with the homeless in East Palo Alto.

"Shirley lives in a tent somewhere, and tries not to cause anyone any trouble. A 60-year-old drug addict, her teeth are bad, she needs shots, and she thinks she was once told she had diabetes. A quick check showed that this was most likely the case. We put her on medications, which she tries to take correctly, and we're working closely with her to prevent the blindness, heart disease, and amputations that come with uncontrolled diabetes."

Charles is also homeless, and a fairly typical patient. He arrived at the clinic in danger of losing his right arm to a massive infection. Margaret provided the treatment he would accept, and instructed him to return the next morning. She didn't see Charles until after three days, during which Charles landed in the Emergency Room. When he returned to Ravenswood, Margaret ordered an X-ray of the arm. Luckily, the bone was not infected, and Charles did keep his arm. Best of all, he now trusts Margaret and the clinic staff, and will be more likely to seek help next time he needs it."