For the last few weeks, Ginny Collins, 66, and her two small dogs had been living out of her compact SUV strapped with storage bags and outdoor equipment. Parked in a quiet lot off a main road in central Suffolk County on a recent morning, nurse practitioner Jen Stevens and a team of medical professionals came by to give her a checkup.

How's she feeling? Are her medications giving her side effects? Is she drinking enough to stave off dehydration in the steamy weather?

Collins, who said she's been unable to work since she suffered a stroke about a year ago, told Stevens that lately she's felt dizzy and had headaches. She has a history of blood clots and is in need of knee replacement surgery. The stress of being on guard during the night has also impacted her health.

"It’s very taxing on

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