our team

 anchoring preceptors

Dana Clark MD

  • Dr. Dana Clark has worked at HOMES on Sundays for over 20 years as an Anchoring Preceptor, providing healthcare to Houston's homeless and supervising students in both their clinical & administrative roles. She currently serves as the Faculty Advisor to HOMES, spending significant time meeting with the HOMES Clinic leadership to help us improve our clinical services and grow our organization.

    She has worked at HHH as a practicing physician for over twenty years. Previously serving as their Medical Director, she now continues to spend her weekdays providing healthcare to patients in the Harris Health System.

    Currently, she is also an Assistant Professor at the Baylor College of Medicine, and she serves as a lead preceptor for the Family Medicine clerkship. Her favorite part of her career is being able to teach & work with students at HOMES while also serving patients with unstable housing.

David Wallace PharmD

  • Dr. David Wallace serves as the on-site pharmacist for reviewing prescriptions, performing medication reconciliation, & dispensing medications to patients during their visits. When he is not volunteering at HOMES Clinic, he serves as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

    He is passionate about teaching pharmacy education, serving underserved populations, and engaging in interdisciplinary patient care. He has been recognized with a number of awards and accolades - as a Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston Outstanding Volunteer, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Student Community Engagement Award (Faculty Advisor), and University of Houston College of Pharmacy Faculty Preceptor of the Year. He was also recently a recipient of the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacist Pharmacy Mentor Award.

Michael Altman MD

Ben King Ph.D & MPH

founders

David Buck MD & MPH

  • Dr. David Buck is the Associate Dean for Community Health at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. He also serves as a clinical professor at the UT McGovern Medical School, and as an adjunct professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health and Rice University. He was a professor at Baylor College of Medicine's Department of Family and Community Medicine for 21 years.

    In 1984, he began working with the Houston’s underserved, developing medical and dental clinics for the indigent population, after working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. In 1999, he founded Healthcare for the Homeless—Houston. Shortly after, he worked with Allegra Melillo, then a medical student, to found HOMES Clinic.

    In addition, Dr. Buck co-founded Doctors for Change and served as its chair from 2006 to 2008. He founded the Houston-Galveston Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Program in 2007, served as its chair from 2007 to 2016, and currently serves as the chair emeritus. He served on the founding board and, later, as chair of the International Street Medicine Institute from 2010 to 2012. At the request of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Buck served on the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan Advisory Board from 2010 to 2012.

    Dr. Buck continues to serve as a practicing physician, including medical street outreach. He is the recipient of many awards and honors including a 2018 honorary degree from Colorado College, the 2013 American Academy of Family Physicians Public Health Leader National Award, the 2012 Texas Academy of Family Physicians Public Health Leader Award, the 2011 St. Luke's Episcopal Charities Community Health Leadership Award and the 2010 University of Texas School of Public Health Leadership Luminary in Public Health. In 2012, Buck’s work was featured at the First Lady's Luncheon hosted by the Congressional Club to honor First Lady Michelle Obama in Washington D.C.

George Bement LCSW

  • Mr. George Bement was a graduate student pursuing his Masters of Social Work when he began leading a class project to establish HOMES Clinic. Not only was he instrumental in its inception, but he continues to be an important source of support for our team.

    He recently retired from working as a social worker, case manager, and therapist at Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston (HHH), primarily overseeing the Jail InReach Project as the Program Manager. He has been recognized for his unwavering commitment to serving the homeless population throughout his extensive career.

Allegra Melillo MD

  • Dr. Allegra Melillo was just a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine at the time when she collaborated with Dr. David Buck to set-up an organization aimed at enabling students to provide much-needed healthcare to the vulnerable population of homeless Houstonians.

    She is currently a practicing Family Medicine physician in Tempe, AZ - she has remained passionate about serving underserved populations throughout her career.

key supporters

Frances Isbell MA

  • Ms. Frances Isbell has served as the CEO of Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston (HHH) for over 20 years. She was instrumental in helping establish HOMES Clinic, providing valuable insight and necessary resources to help our founders get the organization running.

Patricia Butler MD

  • Dr. Patricia Butler is a child psychiatrist with deep ties to the origin of HOMES Clinic.

    She recently retired from her position as the vice dean for Educational Programs and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health McGovern Medical School - she held her position for 22 years, overseeing the undergraduate, graduate medical education and continuing medical education programs. She is now in a faculty emerita position.

Stephen Spann MD & MBA

  • Dr. Stephen J. Spann is a family medicine physician, educator, and researcher with deep ties to the history of HOMES Clinic.

    He currently serves as the founding dean of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine and vice-president for Medical Affairs at the University of Houston. Dr. Spann has dedicated his career to improving healthcare around the world by training future healthcare professionals, contributing to the knowledge base of primary care, and leading students, faculty, and staff to practice high-quality, evidence-based family medicine.

    Dr. Spann has also been active in the development of the specialty of family medicine - he served as a member of a number of commissions directed at improving current models of family practice.

Stephen Pierrel in memoriam

  • Dr. Stephen Pierrel, PhD was a Clinical Psychologist and assistant professor of Family & Community Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine for over 20 years. He was instrumental in the early success of HOMES Clinic - he would lead reflections every Sunday with student volunteers to help them learn from their experiences on shifts, run meetings with Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston (HHH) Consumer Advisory Board to help improve HOMES Clinic’s operations, and provide great support to volunteers & staff at HOMES.

    He was the recipient of many awards for his teaching, including the 2008 Dean of Medical Education's Service Award, the 2001 Fulbright and Jaworski, LLP Faculty Excellence Award, the 2001 Texas Psychological Association Career Education Award, and the 1998 Leonard Moise Teaching Award. He was passionate about teaching and service to others.

    Dr. Pierrel passed away in 2008 following a long and valiant battle with cancer. His legacy is honored by the impact HOMES Clinic continues to make to this day, all thanks to his passionate dedication to our cause.