Grants for Mobile Health Clinics
Grants for mobile health clinics provide the required funding to operate and support mobile medical care facilities.
The grants support the integration of emergency preparedness into mobile health clinics.
Mobile health clinics receive grants to increase their capacity to reach underserved populations.
Federal grants help strengthen mobile health clinics’ preparedness for future health challenges.
Grants for Mobile Health Clinics – Need of the Hour
Grants for mobile health clinics can promote value-based care, better healthcare outcomes, and improve patient access to care.
Patients living in medical deserts have limited access to health services.
Mobile health clinics represent an essential component of the healthcare system. They serve vulnerable populations by preventing and managing chronic diseases and promoting high-quality care and low-cost illness treatment.
What is a Mobile Health Clinic
A mobile health clinic is a doctor’s office or exam room inside a bus, a large van, or an RV. These clinics belong to health systems.
They travel to underserved areas to provide services to hard-to-reach patient populations.
Why is there a Rising Demand for Mobile Health clinics
The patients reported numerous barriers to accessing care that increased the demand for mobile health clinics.
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Trust and Respect – The Primary Concern
For low-income adults, trust and respect are major concerns with healthcare systems. They were treated “less than” because of their income, race, and insurance status.
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High Healthcare Costs Deterred Patients from Treatment
Patients hold off their treatments because they cannot afford the higher medical bills – the additional costs of screening, medicines, and after-treatments deter them from taking the medication.
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Lack of Transportation
Treatment delays due to lack of transportation facilities accumulate and worsen health conditions. Transportation barriers cause missed or rescheduled appointments, delayed care, or postponed medication use.
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Lack of Insurance Coverage
Health insurance coverage helps in reducing the cost of treatment. Many people without health insurance avoid getting costly therapies.
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Other Barriers
Patients in underserved areas may face cultural and economic challenges. They keep themselves socially isolated. They do not feel comfortable and instead believe in treating themselves naturally.
The grants are given to mobile health clinics to meet these patients’ needs. The supportive environment of mobile health clinics can make patients more open to engaging with health professionals.
Challenges of Mobile Health Clinic
Mobile health clinics help close care gaps, address social determinants of health, and promote health equity. But they are not a cure for everything.
Mobile health clinics also encounter difficulties sustaining themselves, such as equipment spatial limitations, the number of patients served, and challenges in recruiting clinicians.
Challenges that come in the way of Mobile Health Clinic are:
- Funding sources for the clinic
- Hiring and training of staff
- Logistical concerns such as hours of operation and locations to visit
- Evaluating the impact
Mobile health clinics are still filling a healthcare need. Grant support can help overcome these challenges and reach broader, underserved patient populations.
How do you get grants for mobile health clinics
- Identify the medically under-served service area and target population with limited access to health care resources. Rural health centers are the most targeted areas that require mobile health clinics.
- Assess the health care resources and needs of the people with low poverty levels. Determine the number of people without health care insurance or other facilities.
- To receive federal funding, create nonprofit health centers providing primary care, screening, and preventive services.
- A business plan is required to define the budget, timeline, funding sources, and narrative to explain the needs, goals, evaluation process, and other requirements for federal funding.
- Apply for a medically underserved area or population, a federal designation to receive start-up funding under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act.
- Visit the U.S. government portal, Grants.gov, and register to apply for federal funds. On completing the registration, create an account.
- Apply for grants covering expenses like purchasing property and appropriate equipment, training, and staffing.
Conclusion
The goal to address the social determinants of health and drive health equity is pressing.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources offers technical assistance. They help applicants complete grant applications for mobile health clinics.
The eligible clinics include centers for public housing residents, school-based health centers, and those that serve migrant workers, families, and the homeless.
See Also
Grants for Nonprofit Medical Clinics
What is Medicare? Medicare Parts A, B, C and D
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