Mobile unit to bring health care to the homeless

An innovative partnership consisting of Dell Medical School, CommUnityCare Health Centers and Travis County’s Integral Care is preparing to launch a mobile unit with the goal of bringing quality health care services to people experiencing homelessness. The mobile, multidisciplinary team will provide both primary care and mental health services, including substance abuse treatment, and will offer services such as housing assistance and social programs enrollment by coordinating with local organizations such as the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition. “Our goal is to fill gaps in care by leveraging the existing strengths and infrastructure of the three collaborating organizations in a whole new way,” said project director Dr. Tim Mercer. Instead of the burden being on the patient to find care, the mobile model allows the team to bring medical care to people where they are. “We can meet with clients on the street, a park bench, under a bridge – wherever we need to be to serve them best,” said team member Dr. Audrey Kuang.