Researchers seek answers about homelessness health in city parks

There are some spots in La Crosse that apparently hold promise for researching homelessness.

In the view of a couple of Mayo Health System researchers, those places are in city parks.

Two La Crosse resident MDs are asking the parks board to conduct interviews of the homeless in parks.

It’s research to better understand their medical needs. The researchers say they’ve identified city parks as likely places to find those who are at a high risk of homelessness.

They figure Cameron Park and Riverside Park are good places to start but are open to suggestions.

The 15-minute survey will ask the voluntary participants about their health, preferences regarding health care settings and knowledge about local resources.

The ultimate goal is to improve health care for the homeless.

The parks board considers that request at a meeting tonight.