CMU Street Medicine team provides health care with a little huzzah!

The Street Medicine team at Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine is providing a little medieval medical care at the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly, Michigan.  This year, in collaboration with the Renaissance Entertainers, Services, Crafters United (RESCU) Foundation, the team is hosting two early morning medical clinics for the actors, musicians, craftspeople and service workers who make the festival such a magical, memorable place for thousands of attendees each year. The first clinic took place on Saturday, August 23, and the second will be held on Saturday, September 27.

The goal of the Street Medicine program is to provide high-quality health services to underserved, migrant, unhoused and rough-sleeping communities.  The students and faculty work to cultivate direct engagement by meeting people in their living spaces and helping to bridge crucial gaps in health care and social support.  By bringing access to care directly to the people, these individuals don't have to disrupt their daily lives in a significant way to receive needed medical care.

Through established partnerships, patients may be set up with resources in the local community to ensure continuity of preventative care and proper follow-up. In addition to medical care, the Street Medicine team also provides much-needed supplies such as hats, gloves, socks, hygiene products, sleeping bags, etc.

Since the program was founded in 2018, the group has worked to build lasting relationships both with the people they serve and with many of the community health and social service workers who offer aid and assistance at their events. The team works primarily in Mid-Michigan communities and is striving to expand its impact into surrounding areas where need exists.

Many of the entertainers and artisans who put on the shows and run the booths at the Michigan Renaissance Festival are full-time festival workers.  They are professionals in their craft and masters at bringing joy and merriment to people across the country.  But, this life of magic-making means they may travel around the country from festival to festival without consistent access to medical services and they may lack access to affordable health insurance.

The RESCU Foundation was founded in 2003 by a group of dedicated individuals committed to providing resources to aid with the medical needs of the Renaissance festival community. The organization has served thousands of individuals. RESCU provides education and wellness programs to help the Renaissance community stay healthy and has disbursed over $1.9 million in direct medical aid. Beyond that, RESCU mentoring and advocacy programs have enabled well over $4.7 million in medical bill abatement to aid and empower the people they serve.

“RESCU's strength lies in its mission and the leadership behind it,” said Magnolia Strange, the organization’s Board President. “It’s the mortar, not just the bricks, that makes a building robust. If RESCU is the building and we are the bricks, then the mortar is our connections and relationships. That spirit of mutual respect and care is visible in every fundraiser, benefit show, silent auction, and shared booth where RESCU has a presence. At many festivals, the RESCU banner is a familiar sight—a quiet but powerful symbol that someone is looking out for the people who make the magic.”

“The RESCU team's mission is one that aligns closely with ours: to promote the well-being of individuals who lack adequate access to medical care,” said Pranjal Gaur, fourth-year medical student and executive director of Internal Affairs for the CMU Street Medicine program. “When we were presented with the opportunity to collaborate with such an impactful organization, we were very excited to further our mission and branch out to a new underserved population in an extremely unique setting. Through our collaboration, we were able to provide both financial assistance through RESCU and needed medical care to this community of individuals.”

During the clinic in August, the Street Medicine team saw 21 patients and handed out more than 50 hygiene and care kits.

“I’ve been doing the laundry as Daphne the Washing Well Wench at this festival for 32 years, and though I don’t have a Michigan driver's license, and I travel all year for work, I think of Michigan as home,” said Danielle Dupont, vice president of the RESCU Foundation and beloved performer at the Michigan Renaissance Festival.  “The people here are so generous with their kindness. The RESCU Foundation, which I have worked with for the last 21 years, receives so much support from Michiganders who volunteer and donate time, energy, and resources to this festival community! I am so grateful to the CMU students, doctors and faculty that came out and shared their skills and magic so we can continue to share our skills and magic to entertain the thousands who call the Michigan Renaissance Festival their happy place!”