Reaching out to the forgotten: providing access to medical care for the homeless in Italy.

Background: A program for outpatient and intermediate inpatient care for the homeless was pioneered by the humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Milan, Italy, during the winter of 2012-2013. We aimed to document the characteristics and clinical management of inpatients and outpatients seen during this program.

Methods: A clinic providing outpatient and intermediate inpatient care (24 bed capacity) was set up in an existing homeless hostel.