Mobile units are one of the most flexible tools a health center can deploy. They extend care beyond clinic walls and directly address barriers like transportation, geographic isolation, and mistrust of the healthcare system. Here are non-traditional uses for health center mobile health units, organized by category:
Use the mobile unit as a mobile teaching lab for medical, nursing, dental, or public health students. This creates hands-on community-based learning experiences and strengthens academic partnerships. A potential university partnership could be established to allow for rotations of health professions students through rural or underserved areas.
Leverage the unit to conduct population health studies, surveys, or biospecimen collection in targeted neighborhoods. Partnerships with local area start-ups or other research institutions for studies on chronic disease prevalence or other social determinants of health could be beneficial here.
Convert the unit into a mobile telehealth access point for patients who lack internet access or devices. Perhaps the utilization of tablets or workstations where patients can attend virtual specialist visits or apply for health benefits.
Utilize the space for counseling, support groups, or substance use recovery coaching in areas that are hard to reach. Partnering with local recovery networks to host mobile peer support sessions could be of use here.
Convert the unit into a mobile resource center for case management, social work, or benefits enrollment (SNAP, Medicaid, housing).
Partner with employers to bring occupational health screenings, ergonomic training, and vaccinations directly to job sites. This could include construction, hospitality, or warehouse companies that could host mobile health days.
Offer health literacy classes, CPR certification, or CHW (community health worker) training on the mobile unit, whereby urban or rural residents could complete short trainings to become health navigators.
Beyond physicals, bring STEM and health careers education to schools using interactive equipment or simulation tools, such as a “Future Health Professionals” day with mini medical demos for students.
Via coordination with county emergency management or Red Cross, position the unit as a mobile command and triage center during wildfires, floods, or power outages.
Use the unit for listening sessions, focus groups, or town halls in communities with low health system trust. Farmers’ markets or tribal community centers could be good partners for this type of outreach.
Bring geriatrics, fall-prevention programs, and medication reconciliation directly to assisted living centers or senior apartments.
Offer mobile prenatal classes, lactation consultation, or postpartum check-ins for mothers without easy transportation.
Deploy for point-of-care testing, mobile imaging, or chronic disease monitoring (A1C, cholesterol, blood pressure). Again, partnering with start-ups or companies promoting wearables to integrate remote patient monitoring devices and cloud-connected data uploads.
Use the mobile unit as a symbol of innovation in regional development plans, demonstrating community investment to attract funding or anchor partners. A display at workforce summits, innovation expos, or chamber events can be a good use of such efforts.
Partner with startups or universities to pilot digital health tools, AI screening software, or remote diagnostic devices in real-world environments to provide proof-of-concept for field testing wearable health monitors or mobile imaging technologies.
Some non-traditional partners can be a state film office, whereby the health center mobile unit could be the on-set primary care service provider. County functions may be partnered with health centers for functions that may include a state fair or other seasonal festivals. A health center is only limited to the use of its mobile unit due to a lack of partners and out-of-the-box ideas for additional use. Please feel free to consider any of these ideas as additional uses for your mobile unit in the future growth of your health center.
January 22nd, 2025
10:00 AM PT // 1:00 PM ET
Compliance is getting more complex. Expectations are higher. Audits are more frequent. And most teams are still trying to manage it all with disconnected tools and manual work.
It does not have to be this hard.
Join us for a live, hands-on demo that shows exactly how healthcare organizations are using Compliatric to centralize compliance, reduce risk, and stay audit-ready without the constant scramble.