Dr. Susan Partovi

is a family physician who has created several Street Medicine teams to provide medical care and assistance to people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles, California. Her award-winning memoir, Renegade M.D.: A Doctor’s Stories from the Streets, tells the stories of some of these patients and serves as a source of education and call for advocacy to support those experiencing homelessness, especially those suffering from severe mental illness, trauma, and substance use. She is working on another memoir titled This is Haiti about her work with H.E.A.L, the nonprofit she cofounded and serves as co-CEO.

More about Renegade MD: A Doctor's Stories from the Streets

Dr. Susan Partovi first experienced poverty medicine volunteering at a dump site in Tijuana during high school. There, she recognized the need for all people to have access to quality medical care. Over the years, she has worked in various facilities around Los Angeles County, incorporating her renegade method of going the extra mile for her patients. In all she does, she works to provide a safety net of care for the underserved skid row community and surrounding neighborhoods.

Recognized internationally as a leader in street medicine, Dr. Partovi started documenting her patients’ stories so that others could hear their voices. By addressing the practical and moral considerations when treating each patient, Dr. Partovi developed her philosophies about what it means to be a “good doctor.” Along the way, she began to understand how her personal ethics evolved―from a challenging childhood and complicated relationships with her parents, through professional hurdles―often, she had to push against a system that doesn’t always put the patient first.

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Dr. Susan Partovi

A Doctor.

Recognized internationally as a leader in homeless and street medicine, Dr. Partovi’s renegade method of going the extra mile for her patients is driven by a desire to address each aspect of health—physical, mental, and situational—and to treat all people with caring, conscientiousness, and acceptance.

A Human First.

Dr. Partovi is also the cofounder of H.E.A.L.(Healthcare. Empowerment. Advocacy. Learning.), a nonprofit that serves Haiti’s impoverished population and introduces medical students to poverty medicine. She has devoted her professional life to serving the underserved.

An Advocate.

Dr. Partovi's writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Press, and other publications. She is often asked to speak to groups or media about issues related to homelessness, and she is a staunch advocate for legislation to improve the situation for all those needing medical care and housing.