We are so excited and proud to announce a $2 million gift to UT Dell Medical to endow a chair that will ensure that unhoused people in Austin have access to quality medical care.
Dr. Tim Mercer, assistant professor of population health and internal medicine, leads the school’s work to develop long-term, sustainable approaches to caring for those without homes in partnership with CommUnityCare Health Centers and Integral Care. Mercer practices as a primary care physician for CommUnityCare’s Health Care for the Homeless program:
“People experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations require innovative care models to address their health and social needs. JP and his family get this, and we are so humbled and grateful for their support. This endowment will allow Dell Med to make a permanent commitment to taking responsibility for the health and well-being of this population in our community.”
Mercer and his team lead the federal grant-funded Mobile, Medical and Mental Health Care Team serving people experiencing chronic homelessness who have a chronic medical condition, serious mental illness, and substance use disorder. Additionally, with his team at CommUnityCare, they collaborate with Austin Public Health and the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) to test, treat — and now vaccinate — this population for COVID-19, while ensuring people have a safe place to quarantine and recover.
JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Family Foundation Endowed Chair will support the continuation and expansion of Dell Med’s street medicine programs, research, and training the next generation of doctors skilled at caring for vulnerable populations. As you know by now, John Paul lived in his car while getting his businesses started:
“At one time in my life I was homeless; I know what it’s like. The American dream happened for me. True success is doing something for someone else and asking nothing in return — success unshared is failure. My family and I wanted to invest in a permanent position to help people in need, and UT and Dr. Tim Mercer are the perfect partner for this.”
In the last year, as the pandemic’s effects became evident in vulnerable populations, we previously donated to support health care for people experiencing homelessness, including COVID-19 treatment, testing and contact tracing. John Paul also donated 20,000 surgical masks and 1,000 rapid COVID-19 tests to aid mobile testing teams caring for people without homes, as well as personally delivered meals for vaccination staff at UT Health Austin. We are so thrilled about Dr. Mercer’s work and for this gift to continue to benefit people for years to come.