When an organization considers starting or investing in a new venture, the first question is always, “What’s the point?” This is all about understanding the value, the potential impact, and how the investment aligns with the organization’s goals.
For those exploring the realm of healthcare, especially in ways that extend beyond traditional settings, mobile medical units come into the spotlight. But what exactly drives an organization to consider such a significant investment? Is it the accessibility? The outreach potential? Or something more?
At AVAN Mobility, we have over 10+ years of experience in assisting organizations like yours in transforming community health services and removing barriers to healthcare. We do this by manufacturing mobile medical vehicles that can be used for many purposes, including:
- Mobile primary care
- Vaccinations
- Outreach
- Helping those with substance abuse
- Making healthcare equal and accessible to everyone
After reading this article, you’ll have some more insight into the main objectives behind mobile medical units. This should help your organization evaluate their potential impact on your community services and if they’re the route you want to take.
What is the purpose of a mobile medical unit?
Mobile medical units accomplish several objectives, depending on your organization. Let’s dive in and explore that further.
Making healthcare accessible to everyone
One of the problems in healthcare is that not everyone can get to a hospital or clinic easily. Some people live hours away from the nearest facility, making it much more difficult to see a doctor or nurse. Mobile medical units help solve this problem by:
Going to remote areas: These units travel to distant areas, bringing doctors and medical care to people who need it.
Immediate assistance: They can provide important health services on the spot. This can range from basic check-ups to treatments for sudden illnesses.
Helping quickly during emergencies
When emergencies like natural disasters or other accidents happen, it’s important to help people fast. Mobile medical units are useful in these circumstances because of their versatility. They can move quickly to these places and start giving medical help immediately. They are really important for:
First aid: Mobile medical units give first aid and help stabilize people before they can be taken to a hospital.
Helping Other healthcare teams: When it comes to a natural disaster, everyone needs to work together. Your organization can use a mobile medical unit to give extra support to local doctors and nurses who might be too busy during these emergencies.
Preventative care
Mobile medical units are like caring friends that come around to make sure everyone stays healthy in communities. They’re especially helpful for people who might not get to see a doctor very often.
Keeping an eye on long-term health: Mobile medical units help folks in communities manage ongoing health issues like:
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
It’s much easier for a mobile medical vehicle to visit a community regularly instead of a community of people all having to drive to a brick-and-mortar clinic that’s far away. This enables healthcare teams to check if treatments are working well and change them if needed.
Discovering problems before they get big: When your healthcare team uses a mobile medical unit to visit communities often, you can spot health troubles early on. Catching things like heart problems early can make treatment easier and more successful in the future.
Learning about community health: As your mobile medical unit travels from place to place, your team can collect important information about what is making people sick. You can use this data to figure out which communities need help the most.
Sometimes, people develop the misconception that mobile medical units are only about giving shots or checking people’s blood pressure, but they’re much more than that. They’re about making sure everyone feels looked after and stays physically and mentally safe. Every mobile medical visit is a chance to make things better, and that’s why they’re so important to communities across the U.S.
Mobile medical units can keep people out of the emergency room
Studies show that these mobile medical units help lower the number of times people need to visit the emergency room. When your organization brings medical care right to where people live, you can catch health problems early and treat them right away. This stops small issues from turning into big emergencies that need more expensive care.
Helping people without health insurance
Over 7% of people across the U.S. don’t have health insurance, which can make it hard for them to get proper medical care. Mobile medical units play an important role in helping these individuals by:
Offering free or low-cost services: These units often provide health care that is free or much cheaper than what people would pay at a hospital. This means that even if someone doesn’t have insurance, they can still see a doctor.
Reducing financial stress: Mobile medical units make healthcare more affordable. This enables people to take better care of their health without the stress of huge costs. This is especially important for families who might avoid going to the doctor because they’re worried about the expense.
Easy access to necessary treatments: Without the barrier of healthcare costs, people are more likely to seek help for health issues early, when they’re easier to treat. This can make a big difference in their overall health.
These units bring medical care to people who need it and also ensure that care is accessible and affordable, regardless of insurance status. This is a big help for communities where many people might not have coverage.
Check out the video below for a real example of an organization we manufactured a mobile medical unit for. They’re using it to provide healthcare to uninsured individuals in and around Joplin, Missouri.
So, what’s the point of a mobile medical unit?
The point of a mobile medical unit is to ensure that healthcare is easy and accessible for everyone, no matter where they live. It’s about responding quickly in emergencies and teaching people how to stay healthy.
Everyone, everywhere, has a chance to be healthy. Organizations like yours can use mobile medical units to show that you care about making health services fair.
Drive change with AVAN Mobility
You made it to this article because your organization is probably just starting to consider purchasing a mobile medical unit.
As you got further into this article, you started to grasp the deeper purpose of these innovative vehicles. You also learned about the important objectives they strive to fulfill.
At AVAN Mobility, we manufacture four types of mobile medical units for organizations like yours. You can use these vehicles to reach patients all over the U.S. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to click the button below. One of our mobility experts would love to speak with you and answer any questions you have.
Feel free to check out some of our other articles that will help guide your future decisions. Our article on how to choose a mobile medical van will help guide you to the right unit for your organization.
If you’re not quite sure if a mobile medical van is the right fit, you’ll benefit from checking out these other two articles. We compare the differences of medical vans to other types of medical units:
