Are you a nonprofit trying to help remote communities get access to healthcare?
Or, are you an organization or company that cannot provide transportation for patients who don’t need emergency services without calling an ambulance?
Then a mobile medical van could be for you.
At MoveMobility, we have four different kinds of mobile medical vans–all designed by our technician experts to provide healthcare in remote communities and urban centers.
In this article, you’ll learn five advantages of getting a mobile medical van and take an in-depth look at the four different kinds we have here at MoveMobility.
5 advantages of mobile medical vans
There are many advantages to getting a mobile medical van, but these are the big five:
1. They prevent emergency room visits by providing a safe, non-emergency transportation option for clients
According to Mobile Health Map, a mobile medical van prevents an estimated 600 emergency room visits per year by providing healthcare to individuals where they are, eliminating the need for them to find healthcare elsewhere.
Mobile medical vans lower the number of emergency room visits because they help people get healthcare before health issues become emergencies.
This means that hospital resources (such as staff and equipment) continue to go toward those who need them the most, and individuals with mobility barriers don’t have to travel a long distance to get the help they need.
Click here to see a map of all the mobile clinics being used right now.
2. They provide accessible healthcare to remote communities
Accessible healthcare for remote communities has been an issue for a long time.
People in rural areas typically have to travel a long distance to access services they lack in their communities.
A mobile medical van can alleviate this issue because people don’t have to travel long distances to get the healthcare they need–the mobile medical van can come to them.
Learn how MoveMobility delivers wheelchair vans to remote locations here.
3. They improve health outcomes by providing healthcare before health issues become an emergency
Mobile medical vans are flexible enough to offer a variety of preventative health services, such as preventive counselling. They can help with small-scale services, such as vaccinations, or larger-scale services, such as detecting early signs of cancer in patients.
Mobile medical vans can help patients discover health issues early, giving them more time to get the treatment they need.
4. They build trust between underserved communities and healthcare providers
In some underserved or remote communities, there can be a level of mistrust between healthcare providers and the population (check out this article from the Ontario Health Technology Assessment Series to learn more).
A mobile medical van can be the first step toward rebuilding the relationship between an underserved or remote community and healthcare providers.
5. They can be customized to fit your community’s needs
Whether you need a mobile medical van to access remote patients, transfer non-emergency patients from one location to another without calling an ambulance, or provide a private space where patients can seek out the help they need – you can customize your mobile medical van to best suit your needs.
For example, you can make your mobile medical van a “doctor’s office on wheels” and provide a clinic space that goes to remote patients.
Or, you can make your mobile medical van a supervised consumption site to mitigate overdose deaths in your community.
Now that you know some advantages to getting a mobile medical van for your community, you may be wondering what kinds of medical vans we have at MoveMobility.
4 types of mobile medical vans from MoveMobility
At MoveMobility, we have four types of mobile medical vans you can choose from.
The mobile outreach van
The mobile outreach van is both a transportation option and a clinic space all at once. Outreach vehicles are used by programs that provide services such as:
- Housing
- Mobile health
- Harm reduction
- Referral services
- Overdose prevention
- Mental health and addictions counseling
The MO Model van includes:
- Power supply
- Overhead storage
- Mobile office desk space
- Options for sink and fridge
- Removable passenger seats
- Rear Heat & Air Conditioning
- Floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets
- Clean, comfortable environment
Learn more about the mobile outreach van here.
The mobile medical clinic van
Mobile clinic vans are used to reduce health disparities in vulnerable and remote populations. These vans take away the need for patients to travel to a clinic.
At MoveMobility, the MC Model van includes:
- Power supply
- Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry
- Options for sink and fridge
- Rear Heat & Air Conditioning
- Clean, comfortable environment
- “Doctor’s office on wheels” setup
- Patient bed with under-bed storage
Learn more about the mobile medical clinic from MoveMobility here.
The mobile response/non-emergency mobile medical van
Think of a mobile response van as an ambulance, but without the emergency.
This van has a simple treatment space for non-urgent medical needs and transportation.
The mobile response van includes:
- Power supply
- Aluminum cabinets
- Rear Heat & Air Conditioning
- AutoFloor flexible floor system
- Stretcher and attendant transport
- Clean, bright medical environment
- Designated storage systems for medical equipment
Learn more about the mobile response van from MoveMobility here.
The overdose prevention/mobile mitigation van
Think of a mobile mitigation van as a mobile supervised consumption site.
It is a safe space where a medical professional or social worker staff can monitor clients using substances and respond to medical needs as they arise.
The mobile mitigation van is equipped with:
- Three individual desk pods with chairs, panels for client-to-client privacy, and electrical outlets
- Wipe-clean aluminum for a clean, sterile environment
- Secure partition for privacy between driver and rear compartments
- Optional awning for a comfortable tent-like area for staff and clients
- Mobile office space for healthcare or social workers to perform administrative tasks
- Rear compartment heat and air conditioning system built to keep clients comfortable in variable climates
Learn more about the mobile mitigation van here.
Your next steps to getting a mobile medical van for your organization/community
You came to this article unsure if a mobile medical van was right for your organization.
Now, you’ve learned the five advantages of having a mobile medical van, and you took an in-depth look at the four different kinds we have here at MoveMobility.
Learn more about mobile medical vans and talk to a MoveMobility expert today.
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