Dr. Sarah Hsu, MS ‘13, Brings Medical Care to San Francisco’s Unhoused Communities
Published 02/03/2026 in Alumni Features
Written
by (Staff) Dianne Delima |
02/03/2026
Just a few months into her job as an Internal Medicine physician with San Francisco’s Department of Public Health Street Health team, Dr. Sarah Hsu, MS ’13, is providing healthcare services and interventions for patients experiencing homelessness.
Shortly after earning her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Brown University, Dr. Sarah Hsu interned at the Prostate Cancer Foundation before returning to Brown in 2018 to begin her medical studies at the Warren Alpert Medical School. In 2022, she earned her M.D. along with a joint Master's degree in Population Medicine, focusing on climate and health advocacy. She completed her residency at UC San Francisco in 2025 and specializes in primary care for underserved populations.
Her dream job: working with the Street Health Team in San Francisco, also known colloquially as “healthcare for the homeless.” In her role, Dr. Hsu collaborates with a team of nurses, doctors, and community health workers to deliver medical services, including mental health care, at two shelter sites in San Francisco: Bayview and Embarcadero. Peer mentors – individuals with lived experiences of being unhoused or addiction – also provide outreach and social support to the Street Health team. Dr. Hsu credits the entire team for the success of delivering care to unhoused individuals, while specifically recognizing the role of peer mentors as vital mediators in bringing essential medical and psychosocial interventions to those in urgent need.
In addition to working at shelter sites, Dr. Hsu and the Street Health team also conduct “street outreach,” in a van, traveling to areas in San Francisco with a high density of individuals experiencing homelessness. During these van rides, they check in with people who have known medical needs and provide follow-up care as needed. The Street Health team also coordinates referrals for individuals requiring additional specialized care, and prioritizes patients who are living with HIV, have severe mental illness, or struggle with substance use disorders. In addition to these services, the Street Medicine team includes eligibility workers who work behind the scenes to ensure that the cost of specialized care and medications remains free of charge.
Dr. Hsu noted that programs like Street Medicine operate in other major cities across the United States, such as Boston. However, she specifically wanted to work with the unhoused population in San Francisco, driven by a desire to advocate for communities with the greatest need. Dr. Hsu’s passion for using her knowledge and skills to best serve vulnerable communities shines through when she reflects on the challenges of her work with Street Medicine. When asked what the biggest challenge on the job has been, she shares, “I strive to provide the best possible care to my patients, but often wonder if what I’ve done is enough,” particularly given the limitations and obstacles inherent in the nature of the work. This concern of providing the utmost best service and support to her patients demonstrates Dr. Hsu’s deep commitment to equitable, patient-centered care and to meeting the needs of underserved communities with dignity and compassion.
To learn more about San Francisco’s Street Medicine team, reach out to Dr. Hsu for her firsthand experience doing this amazing work and visit:
https://www.sf.gov/dph-street-health
