Article

Is Mobile Healthcare in Your Future?

July 30, 2024
Nurse doctor sitting in mobile clinic with clipboard

Mobile healthcare clinics provide crucial—even lifesaving—care for diverse patient populations. These clinics on wheels can come onto job sites or places of business and into communities to offer a variety of care.

Mobile health clinics reduce barriers to access and provide timely, convenient care without the need for patients to travel long distances. The clinics can be in buses, vans, RVs or trailers that can either operate independently from or serve as extensions of existing healthcare organizations.

Recent legislation—the Maximizing Outcomes through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment (MOBILE) Health Care Act took effect Jan. 1, 2024—could provide a boost to facilities looking to expand into mobile care.
 
“The legislation provides community health centers with the flexibility to use federal funds to establish new, mobile healthcare delivery sites to increase access to health care services in rural and underserved communities,” according to one of the sponsors of the bill that became law. 

PROVIDING A RANGE OF SERVICES AND BENEFITS

Mobile healthcare has a strong return on investment (ROI). According to Mobile Health Map, for every dollar invested in mobile health, $20 is saved, resulting in an ROI of 20 to 1. Statistics from Mobile Health Map cite notable shifts including:

  • $235 million returned to communities through mobile clinics
  • 3,783 life years saved by mobile clinics
  • 10,590 emergency department visits avoided

The clinics extend essential care beyond the brick-and-mortar walls of traditional healthcare settings. They also bring care to people who may not have access to healthcare providers. The care can include dental care, urgent care, primary care and preventive healthcare.
 
“Mobile clinics improve access to health care in many communities by reducing transportation and geographic barriers. They are often the only available option for patients in areas with limited medical infrastructure, providers and resources,” according to an article by Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care. “Mobile clinics are also an effective way to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.”

ADD A NEW REVENUE STREAM AND REALIZE OTHER BENEFITS

Facilities that operate a mobile clinic can achieve a range of benefits. According to Mobile Health Map, mobile clinics can:

  • Bridge gaps for people to access quality healthcare
  • Build trust with marginalized communities by delivering care
  • Attract, inspire and retain healthcare talent who want to work in the clinics
  • Create new business opportunities for existing facilities
  • Encourage innovation and community engagement with the provider

Mobile clinics can attract new patients who might continue to use the facility’s services in the future. For example, clinics can engage patients, then encourage additional services or follow up appointments in the brick-and-mortar clinic. Or, mobile clinics can offer services the facility doesn’t, such as screening for chronic conditions or eye exams.
 
Partnerships present additional opportunities. Teaming up with businesses or schools allows facilities to expand their brand and services to a new target audience. Ultimately, mobile services that are paid for by patients, insurance companies or third-party organizations offer an additional revenue stream for facilities. 

“Partnering with a GPO can save money and help avoid challenges launching and maintaining a mobile clinic. ”

HOW TO GET A MOBILE BUSINESS ROLLING

According to Mobile Health Map, starting a mobile clinic requires ongoing funding, patience and flexibility. It also entails having a funding plan to operate the clinic for three to five years, or until the clinic becomes profitable and self-sustaining.
Ensuring the business is sustainable typically requires having multiple sources of revenue. Sources can include:

  • Insurance reimbursements
  • Patient payments
  • Philanthropy sponsorships
  • Clinical support from a healthcare facility

Costs to launch a mobile clinic vary based on staffing, types of services provided, the type of vehicle and technology being used, number of miles traveled and other factors. Mobile Health Map says that among the mobile clinics registered for its map, the average annual operating cost for a mobile clinic is approximately $275.
 
Mobile Health Map suggests three steps to start a mobile clinic:

  • Step 1: Connect with the community by listening to local leaders and community-based organizations.
  • Step 2: Scan the landscape, study data about community needs and assets and learn from other mobile clinics about what is already working.
  • Step 3: Plan for sustainability and create an operational and financial plan to build a strong foundation to make a long-lasting impact.

Case Study: The Need for Reliable Communications
One requirement for mobile care is having reliable communications. For example, when Mobile Health, an occupational health organization that provides employment-related medical screenings around the country, began delivering services onsite, it needed the ability to have mobile check-ins, secure patient data management and connectivity. 

Mobile Health turned to Verizon. “The demand for our services skyrocketed and Verizon was able to meet this demand without skipping a beat,” says Andrew Shulman, Mobile Health CEO in a case study. “Verizon was never a bottleneck for us. Because we had a partner that we could rely on to 100% meet the demand, it was one less very important thing to worry about.”

Mobile Health is continuing to expand its services and expects that Verizon will play a key role in the delivery of patient care. “The Verizon network already supported stationary clinics, and they had always provided a great experience for customers and patients alike,” according to the case study. 

The role of dependable communications will be increasingly important as Mobile Health considers offering services such as telemedicine. Provista members considering a mobile clinic can also benefit from Verizon contracts for modern communications. 

HELP DRIVE SUCCESS BY PARTNERING WITH A GPO

Mobile clinics can benefit communities and patients by making healthcare more affordable and accessible, which in turn improves patient outcomes and can lower the total cost of a patient’s care. Facilities can also benefit by expanding their clinical reach and bringing a new revenue source into the organization.
 
A group purchasing organization (GPO) like Provista that specializes in non-acute care can help facilities get started by offering access to the products, supplies and technologies needed to operate a mobile clinic. For example, Provista offers a comprehensive non-acute portfolio for everything needed for mobile health, including capital equipment, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.
 
Facilities interested in providing mobile health services should talk to their GPO to help with all phases of running the clinic. Partnering with a GPO can save money and help avoid challenges launching and maintaining a mobile clinic.

 

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