KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When the temperatures are well below zero, there are a lot of considerations to take to stay safe, especially for those experiencing homelessness.
While the temperatures change, their circumstances don’t.
In Kansas City Missouri, there are nurses and doctors who help keep the homeless healthy and treat injuries due to the cold.
"What we are seeing now is frostbite from two weeks ago. We have had multiple calls from hospitals of patients who needed to be placed in our medical respite," said Jaynell Assman, who is known as Nurse KK. "The things we are seeing right now are people coming in who are frigid with nothing."
Organizations in Kansas City like Care Beyond the Boulevard help those in need.
On Tuesday, a patient named Anthony was treated there. He was so cold that he couldn't get a pulse ox reading on any of his fingers.
Assmann, who founded Care Beyond the Boulevard, said this isn't an unfamiliar sight for her.
"When the snap hits is not when we see the fallout," she said.
She says it’s weeks later.
"For the last week, we've gotten numerous calls to our medical respite for people who have amputations, frostbite injuries, things like that as a result of the first cold snap, so we haven't caught up with that, and now we have this," she said.
The organizations provides regular healthcare and post-acute care to those experiencing homelessness in KCMO.
"People really do stay outside in these temperatures," she said. "Hot hands, tarps, coats, blankets — things that keep digits and people alive."
It's evidenced by the fact that fire crews put out an out-of-control fire in an encampment downtown.
"Last night, it was really, really cold; I cannot imagine sleeping outside in this cold," she said.
Assmann says that while KCMO cold weather shelters have increased capacity at night, the cold still forces life-long issues for people living outside.
"Hypertension, diabetes, those same things," she said. "But then when you compound them with the weather extremes, it makes it much more difficult."
She says people do care about their health. Last year, Care Beyond the Boulevard saw 3,000 patients and had 12,000 clinic visits.
Assmann says it's proof that people want medical help, but she says it can't always be a priority when trying to find somewhere warm to sleep.
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KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.