Omaha Medical Team Brings Care to Homeless in Bitter Cold

When bitter cold swept through Omaha this weekend, most people stayed inside. But Melissa Neuenfeldt and her team at Heal Omaha bundled up and headed out to check on their most vulnerable neighbors.

Neuenfeldt, the nonprofit's COO, leads volunteers through the streets several times a week. They deliver medical care directly to people experiencing homelessness, checking for frostbite, handing out hand warmers, and making sure everyone has what they need to survive the extreme temperatures.

"How are you doing with keeping yourself alive in this brutal cold right now?" Neuenfeldt asked one person during Saturday's rounds. The question isn't dramatic. In freezing weather, it's literally life or death.

Many people living outside face barriers to entering shelters. Some have medical conditions that make travel difficult. Others have pets they refuse to leave behind. Still others simply don't trust traditional institutions.

That's where Heal Omaha makes the difference. The team meets people exactly where they are, whether that's under a bridge, in a tent, or tucked into a doorway.

"We will go and see them in shelter. If they go into the hospital, we will visit them in the hospital," Neuenfeldt explained. "Wherever our patients go, we will maintain connection with them until they are stable in housing."

Dr. Dalton Nelsen, an emergency room doctor who volunteers with Heal Omaha, says this approach builds trust that traditional healthcare often can't. "Sometimes we're the only medical providers that they're going to trust," he said. "They're not going to go to the ER. There's a lot of reasons why they can't."

The team has worked with nearly half of all individuals facing unsheltered homelessness in Omaha. They're noticing troubling trends: people are staying outside longer, they're getting older, and they're dealing with more serious medical problems.

The Ripple Effect

Heal Omaha's work goes beyond bandaging wounds and distributing warm clothing. They're changing how the entire community thinks about homelessness.

Neuenfeldt admits she once had misconceptions herself. "That's what I didn't know when I worked in the emergency department," she said. "I thought that there were people that would drive around and pick up people and take them to shelter."

Now she encourages every Omaha resident to be part of the solution. "We need to be alert as neighbors for people who look like they're in distress," she said. "It's also okay to stop and ask people if they're okay."

The volunteers also distribute food, water, and blankets alongside medical care. Each interaction is a chance to connect someone with the resources that could eventually lead to stable housing and better health outcomes.

As temperatures drop, Heal Omaha's commitment never wavers—proving that cold weather doesn't have to mean cold hearts.