10/30/2025
Crister Brady, MD, MPH, recently served as the keynote speaker at the annual donor appreciation event hosted by Doctors Without Walls - Santa Barbara Street Medicine (DWW). The gathering, held at Direct Relief headquarters (a longtime partner supporting DWW’s outreach efforts), celebrated two decades of providing healthcare to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Dr. Brady’s connection to DWW runs deep: he was the organization’s first student coordinator in 2010, helping shape its early efforts to deliver care directly to people on the streets. Now a practicing physician in our department, he reflected on the enduring values of DWW - unconditional care, student mentorship, and collaborative patient-centered approaches.
His keynote emphasized the importance of community-based care and the power of meeting patients where they are. Brady spoke to an interprofessional audience of healthcare professionals, volunteers, and donors, highlighting the need for sustained support and innovative approaches to care for vulnerable populations.
Brady currently sees patients at the UNC Family Medicine Center at Carraway Village in Chapel Hill and serves as the Regional Director of the UNC Rural Primary Care Fellowship Program. His career has been shaped by a commitment to rural health, community engagement, and collaborative care models. Prior to joining UNC, he worked at Piedmont Health Services and completed training at UCSF, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley, focusing on health equity and partnerships with communities experiencing homelessness.
The event also spotlighted DWW’s Enhanced Case Management program, which has helped clients secure and maintain housing through intensive support. The organization, however, currently faces funding challenges that threaten its future services. Brady’s keynote underscored the urgency of advocacy and policy change to sustain street medicine efforts.
Read more in the Santa Barbara Independent:
go.unc.edu/Brady-DWW
