Local nonprofit invests in mobile van clinic to improve care

ITHACA, N.Y. — REACH Project Inc., a local nonprofit, took a major step this year to address transportation barriers to health care in underserved areas by investing in grants to equip mobile health clinics. The organization now has the ability to provide basic health care services to underserved rural areas.

Director of Operations Samantha Stevenson said the mobile clinic has an expected trial date of January 2024 and will be funded entirely by grant funding.

She said: ‘For the past 18 months we have been working to fully equip the vans to conduct on-site medical examinations and distribute addiction treatment medications, including methadone.

The van will also support the organization’s local initiatives by reaching out to areas of the county with homeless and housing unstable populations. Stevenson estimates the organization serves about 1,800 patients in Tompkins County alone. Over time, other counties will be included in the truck rotation.

A wide range of harm reduction health care services will be provided, including a syringe exchange program that provides patients with sterile syringes and equipment to promote safer use.

On-board staff will provide education on safer injection practices and infection prevention, as well as refer patients to social, mental health and other services, including the organization’s own Medications for Opioid Use Disorders (MOUD) program.

Patients will have access to a wide range of general services via the van, including emergency medical care for abscesses and wounds, screening and treatment for hepatitis C, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.

Vaccinations will also be offered, including those to prevent infection by the hepatitis A and hepatitis B viruses that damage the liver. Naloxone, a nasal spray used in overdose situations, will also be distributed along with overdose prevention education.

REACH program providers will not deny care because of an individual’s inability to pay or lack of insurance. Stevenson said they offer a “sliding fee scale” based on income and do not require patients to pay upfront.

She said the organization now has outreach workers and community health workers operating the van. But in the future, the organization will look to hire more staff to operate the vans.

Research from the National Library of Medicine identifies accessibility as a significant barrier to health care, particularly among minority and low-income populations that the REACH program is designed to serve.

As a study in the International Journal of Health Equity notes, mobile health clinics simplify access to care by overcoming logistical challenges, including transportation barriers. They also ease issues such as difficulty getting appointments, long wait times and complex administrative processes, making care more accessible to vulnerable groups.

According to a study published in the Journal of Community Health, access to transportation can prevent worse clinical outcomes that lead to individual visits to the hospital. Prompt care can improve outcomes.

“Our goal is to remove transportation and travel barriers for existing patients and provide services to new patients that we have not been able to provide in the past,” Stevenson said. “Adding vans is another way to remove barriers and meet people where they are.”

Project REACH began its work in 2018, and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Tompkins County in 2020, the organization began conducting street outreach to meet patients at a time when offices were closed and telemedicine became critical.

The organization now conducts telehealth visits in 56 of New York State’s 62 counties. It targets rural communities and designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). According to the state Department of Health, Tompkins County is a designated HPSA.