Going to a Health Clinic nowadays can be both time consuming and expensive.
Because of this, the Fresno State Mobile Health Unit hopes to become the solution to these factors.
The unit is a free clinic that travels around the San Joaquin Valley to reach out to community members who are afraid, lack financial resources and are distant from the nearest clinic.
Since 2015, the Fresno State Mobile Health Unit has visited 240 different locations across Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare counties, according to the Fresno State website.
Becoming a beacon of access for health care is the goal for the Mobile Health Unit as the rural San Joaquin Valley poses challenges for its residents to have easy access to health care.
The unit is composed of a team of Fresno State nursing students who volunteer their time to serve a community and develop their medical skills in a clinical environment.
The Mobile Health Unit provides a multitude of services such as health screenings, Covid vaccines and blood pressure checks.
The unit is also a great resource for students who are looking to get into the medical field.
Students can hone their skills and become more comfortable in medical environments.
The Mobile Health Unit does not require any form of identification, insurance, nor documentation. This allows the unit to gain the trust of the community.
“Many patients who utilize services at the Health Unit do not have access to healthcare for reasons such as not being able to afford health care, or not being able to provide documentation,” according to Lynn Jakobs, the Mobile Health Unit director and associate professor in the school of nursing.
The Mobile Health Unit provides the opportunity to give these residents access to healthcare and gives the team ease that the residents at least have been given that opportunity.
The Mobile Health Unit is sponsored by Chevron and Saint Agnes Medical Center. However, their sponsorship may not be enough to keep the Mobile Health Unit on the road.
Jakobs explained that the Mobile Health Unit is a grant program and the unit mainly lives off of grant funding. Jakobs also explained that two Mobile Health Unit locations can cost up to $2.6 million.
To cover the high costs, the Mobile Health Unit is trying to transition from a grant program to a tuition program for students getting experience in order to become self-sustaining. The transition, however, may take a couple of years as the program will have to undergo administrative loopholes.
Fresno State Mobile Health Unit Locations for the month of September:
Sept. 14 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Holy Cross 421 F Street, Fresno, CA 93706
Sept. 19 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Cherry Avenue Auction 4640 S. Cherry Ave, Fresno, CA 93706
Sept. 26 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at West Hills College 900 O Street, Firebaugh 93622
