Winnebago Industries Specialty Vehicles has spent the past two years working with Boston officials to build a mobile medical clinic, serving at-risk individuals.
The manufacturer and The Kraft Center for Community Health announced they have made 10,000 contacts since they began working together, with nearly 1,400 total patient encounters.
The mobile clinic, called Community Care in Reach, was built by Winnebago Industries Specialty Vehicles using its Class C 423S Ford Transit-based platform with personalized modifications.
The unit features a small waiting area, a patient exam room with all the medical equipment necessary to enable the vehicle and staff to act as a licensed satellite clinic. Health professionals can access medical records and enroll patients in programs, bringing the same sense of formality, organization, and process as a hospital.
The medical team has distributed nearly 3,000 overdose-reversing naloxone kits to individuals coping with opioid addiction.
“Through mobile outreach, these caregivers can engage people in their environment, provide basic services and help patients begin treatment for their opioid addictions in a trusting environment,” stated Ashis Bhattacharya, vice president – business development, advanced technology, and specialty vehicles at Winnebago Industries. “The results they’ve reported in the last two years speak volumes, and we are looking forward to following their results in the coming years.”
Health systems around the country employ mobile health vehicles such as Community Care in Reach to reduce barriers to obtaining life-saving services to people with opioid use disorder (OUD). The Kraft Center’s mobile medical unit provides services such as medication for OUD, preventive care, chronic disease management, referrals to in-patient detox, and harm reduction. Harm reduction includes naloxone distribution, overdose prevention education, risk reduction counseling and syringe exchange.
“In Massachusetts alone, an average of six people are dying every day from opioid use and overdose. Since most of these deaths occur in populations experiencing homelessness or housing instability, we needed to bring services directly to this population,” stated Craig Regis, program manager for The Kraft Center for Community Health. “Through our collaborations with Winnebago Industries Specialty Vehicles and the GE Foundation, we have helped a significant number of people in the last two years who are disconnected from health care or don’t have the means to travel. We are very grateful for their support.”
