GLENDALE, AZ — Families who don’t have health insurance may struggle to find health care, but a Valley organization aims to meet families wherever they are.
Through a partnership with Valle del Sol and the United Health Foundation, the organizations are providing health care for families through a mobile health clinic.
On Tuesday, the mobile health unit parked at the Glendale System of Care Center. It goes to different community centers and schools across the Valley four times a week to help families access care, like Karen Lopez.
It was less than a 10-minute drive for Lopez to get to the mobile health clinic from her home.
“It feels amazing, honestly,” Lopez said of being able to access the health clinic.
Doctors provide parents and students with any primary care needs as well as behavioral health and psychiatric services.
“We don't turn people away. If for some reason we can't provide the services they need right there while on the unit, we do send them back to our clinic and get them set up that way,” said Brittney Byrd, the director of the integrated mobile health program with Valle del Sol.
They do take insurance but for families who can’t afford to pay, they’ll find a way to help.
“It’s really breathtaking to hear from patients and families who otherwise wouldn’t receive care from anyone because of their inability to pay for services and/or the access to services,” Byrd said.
“It’s very, very expensive. When you go either just as a checkup or I need to get this vaccine and it’s a little pricey, I’ll hold it off. You keep holding it off and off and you don’t get it done,” Lopez said of her experience with no insurance.
Since launching the mobile clinic in 2021, Valle del Sol has helped more than 2,000 students who needed services, done with parent permission. It’s also convenient for some people when they’re located outside of schools.
In some of the clinics, they have specialized doctors come to do services. On Tuesday, they had a pediatric doctor perform checkups on children.
Valle del Sol has a list of locations it will be going to in the coming weeks. You can find out the locations here.
