About MedEvent
Just some of the MedEvent volunteers
Today, MedEvent is a volunteer group of over 40 physicians, physician assistants,
nurses, and paramedics that are dedicated to eliminating
injury and promoting a variety of health and harm reduction topics at over 70 large
charity events per year. MedEvent provides services at no cost to the charities
organizing the events, the guests who receive direct first aide care, or those who
benefit from our harm reduction efforts.
In addition to providing direct first aide for a variety of medical needs, MedEvent
distributes educational flyers; produces, distributes and posts educational posters;
provides free water and electrolyte replacement drinks during hot events; distributes
free earplugs at loud events; distributes free condoms and other safe-sex materials;
provides 1-on-1 substance abuse and high-risk behavior reduction education; and
operates a website hosting additional educational materials.
Just some of the MedEvent volunteers
The charity events at which MedEvent provides first aid, education, and harm reduction
occur in ten states throughout the year. The events range from small indoor events
with 1,000 attendees to large outdoor weekend festivals that may have over 50,000
attendees.
Our History
Just some of the MedEvent volunteers
In the late 1990s, in the wake of the AIDS crisis, a series of large charity events
sprung up to help raise money for a variety of AIDS treatment and service programs.
These events grew to very large proportions, many drawing over 5,000 attendees per
day. These events became so successful at generating revenue that charities began
to have them on a regular schedule every year. As would happen with any large event,
medical needs began to arise at the events: injuries, heatstroke, and dehydration
– in addition to medical issues specific to the population served by the charities.
In 1997 a group of physicians banded together to provide completely voluntary medical
care at these events. These physicians recognized a need in the community for harm
reduction education (alcohol, drugs, safe sex practices, etc) and began using their
unique position inside these events to provide harm reduction education to the attendees.
The volunteer group of physicians called themselves “MedEvent” and have been in
continual operation ever since.