FOR A QUARTER OF A CENTURY, the John Muir Health Mobile Health Clinic has brought essential healthcare on wheels directly to underserved communities across Contra Costa County.
And since its founding, the clinic on wheels has offered free medical services to thousands of disadvantaged residents and communities, providing families with a great option for on-site (vs. virtual) care.
The clinic launched in 2001 in Brentwood and partners with the Village Community Resource Center to provide free medical care to low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients. What started as an effort to reach people in need beyond hospital walls evolved into a well-trusted community resource. Its recent anniversary in May marked 25 years of growth and serving the health needs of under-resourced patients, some of whom may have gone without any medical attention otherwise.
Today, patients who visit the clinic have access to a variety of services, including primary care, preventive services and mental health resources. The clinic also has offered vaccinations to thousands of people throughout the county. By operating directly in local neighborhoods, the mobile clinic helps make healthcare accessible to people who may face financial, transportation or language barriers.
“Our health system does a phenomenal job at making sure we’re able to address community needs no matter where you fall on the spectrum,” explained Jamie Elmasu, John Muir Health’s director of Community Health Improvement. “It’s unique; I don’t know if all health systems can say the same thing for what they’re doing, but in our case, we’re a valued, trusted partner in the community.”
“Our health system does a phenomenal job. … I don’t know if all health systems can say the same thing for what they’re doing, but in our case, we’re a valued, trusted partner in the community.”
Jamie Elmasu, John Muir Health’s director of Community Health Improvement
Throughout the years, the Mobile Health Clinic has continued to expand its footprint across Contra Costa County, reaching many milestones. The program has built partnerships and collaborations with several organizations, including RotaCare Bay Area and the county’s Health Care for the Homeless, allowing it to expand and reach more people.
One of the clinic’s most significant efforts was its role in the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus spread, the clinic played a key role in giving vaccinations to members of communities across the county. The clinic administered approximately 3,600 vaccinations in familiar community settings.
Expanding services
Since its inception, the mobile clinic program has expanded beyond Brentwood to locations in Concord, Pittsburg and most recently, Antioch. The health van is open at different times and days in each city, and all of the locations have a strong focus on the underserved people in their respective communities.
“As a nonprofit health system, it’s our responsibility to take care and serve everyone in our community, including those who don’t have access to health insurance,” Elmasu said. “And so with the Mobile Health Clinic, that’s one way that we do that.”
That impact and community building are deeply felt by families that use the clinic’s services. Gloria, an older resident who asked not to give her last name, said she relies on the clinic for her husband’s care.
“We heard about the clinic on local bulletin boards and from friends, as well,” Gloria said in Spanish. “My husband doesn’t have health insurance, and well, where do you go when you don’t have health insurance? They treat patients that don’t have health insurance and so it’s a great opportunity to have.”
Over the years, the clinic has served approximately 13,000 patients, early all of whom lacked health insurance, Elmasu said. In the past year, she added, the clinic served 457 patients, with the majority being non-English speakers who were uninsured, showing how important it is to provide health care in ways that are accessible to all people.
“It doesn’t feel like work to me,” said Leticia Salazar, a licensed vocational nurse who works at the clinic. “It’s a community that is very appreciative of the work that we do; it’s not just working with one group of people, we are working with all different cities and people of all different nationalities.”
Nila Araiza-Singh is a sophomore at El Cerrito High School in El Cerrito and a CCYJ reporter. This story originally appeared in CCSpin.