# The Strategic Advantage of FQHCs in Implementing Mobile Health Units: Lessons Learned from a Pilot Initiative

## TL;DR

This study explores how mobile health units can help underserved communities access healthcare by sharing lessons from a pilot program led by a federally qualified health center.

## Contribution

The paper provides practical recommendations for implementing mobile health units based on firsthand experience from a Federally Qualified Health Center.

## Key findings

- Mobile health units can overcome barriers like transportation and mistrust to improve healthcare access for high-need populations.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers can leverage their community relationships to successfully implement mobile health programs.
- The program enhanced patient engagement and provided proactive, community-focused primary care.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are community-based and community-led organizations in the United States that receive federal funds to provide comprehensive primary care and support services to community members in underserved areas whose social, economic, environmental, and physical needs may present barriers to accessing and obtaining quality care.Mobile Health Units (MHUs) are community-based points of care that can help FQHCs reach populations for whom traditional site-based care remains inaccessible due to systematic barriers and who may not engage with the healthcare system otherwise.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are community-based and community-led organizations in the United States that receive federal funds to provide comprehensive primary care and support services to community members in underserved areas whose social, economic, environmental, and physical needs may present barriers to accessing and obtaining quality care.

Mobile Health Units (MHUs) are community-based points of care that can help FQHCs reach populations for whom traditional site-based care remains inaccessible due to systematic barriers and who may not engage with the healthcare system otherwise.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
This descriptive observational implementation study presents initial outcomes of a new MHU program implemented by a large, statewide FQHC system and offers recommendations for FQHCs and similar organizations that are starting a new or expanding an existing MHU program.Based on the firsthand experience of our MHU program’s providers, care teams, and program leaders, we offer specific recommendations and lessons learned regarding patient engagement and community connection, MHU logistics, addressing healthcare access needs, and addressing transportation as a barrier.

This descriptive observational implementation study presents initial outcomes of a new MHU program implemented by a large, statewide FQHC system and offers recommendations for FQHCs and similar organizations that are starting a new or expanding an existing MHU program.

Based on the firsthand experience of our MHU program’s providers, care teams, and program leaders, we offer specific recommendations and lessons learned regarding patient engagement and community connection, MHU logistics, addressing healthcare access needs, and addressing transportation as a barrier.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
The FQHC-led MHU model is a potentially scalable solution for community health centers and other organizations interested in providing patient-centered and community-centered delivery of healthcare services and health-related knowledge to community members.Allocating resources to mobile primary care delivery to hard-to-reach populations enhanced our FQHC’s ability to offer proactive, patient-centered care, with the intent of strengthening patients’ engagement with high-quality community-focused primary care.

The FQHC-led MHU model is a potentially scalable solution for community health centers and other organizations interested in providing patient-centered and community-centered delivery of healthcare services and health-related knowledge to community members.

Allocating resources to mobile primary care delivery to hard-to-reach populations enhanced our FQHC’s ability to offer proactive, patient-centered care, with the intent of strengthening patients’ engagement with high-quality community-focused primary care.

High-need populations face substantive barriers to accessing primary care, leading to disproportionately poor health outcomes. This descriptive, observational study details the implementation of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) program designed to improve engagement in care and enabling services by leveraging mobile health units (MHUs) to provide comprehensive, low-barrier primary care services to residents who were previously unable or unwilling to engage with the traditional healthcare system. The program sought to overcome common access challenges such as lack of transportation, lack of insurance, and mistrust of healthcare institutions. We describe the operational framework of this program, examine the types of care delivered, and offer recommendations from the perspective of a large multi-site FQHC experienced in reengaging people back to the healthcare system but new to providing mobile health care. We describe our program’s focus on prioritizing patient engagement and access and its consideration of operational and technical infrastructure. Based on our FQHC’s experience, we provide recommendations on how to address patients’ health and social needs. FQHCs have the potential to implement MHUs, drawing on their existing infrastructure and community relationships. Our MHU program is well-aligned with our FQHC’s commitment and priority to deliver essential care and foster continuity within hard-to-reach communities, strengthening the local healthcare safety net and improving healthcare for high-need populations.