Mobile Urgent Care Provides A Valuable Safety Net

By Dominique Martin


Although controversial federal legislation is allowing many previously uninsured Americans to buy affordable medical insurance, a substantial number still are still unable to do so. They often cope with chronic financial struggles, and for many in that situation seeing the doctor is a last resort. Mobile urgent care helps those who need it the most by bringing top-quality medical personnel and facilities to local residents.

Brick-and-mortar urgent need centers have traditionally provided a host of services for people seeking a local, cost-effective alternative to standard hospital emergency rooms. Without insurance, emergency room care is prohibitively expensive, time consuming, and does not include preventive medicine. The centers are meant to treat such non-emergency conditions as colds and the flu, injuries and other illness, provide x-ray and laboratory services, administer physicals, and much more.

Locating these services in a large vehicle is a far more cost-effective method of reaching patients who skip treatment because of money issues. Often housed in an RV that has been gutted and fitted with up-to-date medical technology, it may be staffed by nurse practitioners, doctors, and aides. When budgets and physical size allow, other services and staff can be added to the roster.

Although the overall economic situation has improved somewhat, many people have begun to pay the price for ignoring or neglecting health concerns over the years. The current wave of diabetes has created a category of older people who may be somewhat aware they are at risk, but have not yet developed neuropathy or vision problems. A visiting doctor provides necessary education for living with this condition, including regular monitoring.

Most have few restrictions on who may or may not become a patient. From children requiring vaccinations or treatment for common ailments like ear infections, to the elderly without financial resources, there is no litmus test deciding who may or may not receive help. In areas with large populations of new immigrants, politics are routinely set aside in favor of helping all people enjoy the benefits of good health.

For those recuperating from surgery, some units feature help for patients after they have been discharged. The ability of a unit to travel helps cut down lengthy recovery times, limits the chances of avoidable post-surgical infections or other complications, and helps support caregivers within families. For patients living alone, the service increases peace of mind.

Many patients would receive little or no personalized medical information without these units. Doctors and nurses look beyond immediate physical issues and routinely provide education on nutrition and dietary needs, administer prenatal exams, and help parents make sure their children are vaccinated. Young adults benefit from information regarding safer sex and STD transmission, and some centers provide dental services.

More than four thousand people can receive help in one year from a single unit, and demand for the service is not diminishing. Educational material and screenings for healthy individuals helps prevent future problems, while suppressing cost inflation. Whether patients are coping with the singular stresses of aging or having trouble finding affordable decent housing, care of this type helps fill the need.




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