Mobile Medical Unit, a division of the Primary Care Center of Mt. Morris, PA

When Dr. Counts, a nurse practitioner and her husband moved to their farm in rural Green County in 1988, she soon realized there was a tremendous need. “When people found out I was a nurse, they kept coming by,” she recalls. “It was getting to the point that I couldn’t walk down the driveway to pick up the paper without someone stopping to see me. They weren’t just stopping by to say hello, though – they were also seeking her medical advice. It didn’t take me long to realize that these folks were missing something in terms of their health care."

As a Professor of Nursing at Penn State, Mona Counts, NP received funding to conduct an ethnographic study with the help of 15 graduate students. The study showed the residents wanted several things from the medical community.

• Providers who were willing to become part of the community and not leave
• People who understood their culture and wouldn't "Talk down to them"
• Healthcare workers who would help them, not just "Tell them what to do"
• Care that addressed the specific needs within their area

Based on this information, Dr. Counts co-founded a community-owned, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, the Primary Care Center in Mt. Morris, PA in 1994. Today, the clinic is open 5 days a week and serves 6000 clients. Based on studies showing populations like this are more likely to access professional services provided by nurses because nurses are perceived as approachable, understanding, and part of the community, the clinic has only Nurse Practitioners, referring patients to doctors when necessary.

Yet, there remained a large population that had insufficient access to healthcare due to influences such as distance, inadequate transportation, lack of insurance, inability to pay for healthcare, or reliance on home based remedies. A grant was written for a mobile medical unit, which was approved.

Housed in a custom-built 40-foot vehicle, complete with wheelchair access, the Mobile Unit took to the road in February 2009.  It is staffed by a nurse practitioner, a medical assistant, a driver and a part-time social worker who provides counseling services to individuals and families. Students accompany the unit when they are doing rotations at the PCC.

The clinic travels across Greene County, parking at churches, senior centers, and other public meeting places. The primary goals of the mobile clinic are the identification of health care needs, early intervention, and the promotion of preventive measures through patient education. “Within the first week, we came across several individuals with previously undiagnosed chronic conditions, such as diabetes,” says Counts. “They hadn't been to see a doctor in years because they didn’t have health care coverage, couldn’t afford health care costs, or couldn’t make it to the doctor’s office because it was too far.”

Currently, the mobile clinic’s services include: history and physicals; laboratory services; management of chronic illnesses; treatment of acute illnesses; screenings; counseling; and patient education for wellness and prevention, diabetic education, self-care practices, nutrition and behavior modification. All services are provided on a sliding scale, thanks to funding provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Unfortunately, grant funding for the mobile unit runs out at the end of fiscal year 2009. Dr. Counts is seeking additional funding and is looking for small businesses to partner with. Plans are underway to incorporate a dental unit into the clinic. "Ideally, we’d like the mobile clinic to be a self-sufficient unit, using money derived from contracts with small businesses and organizations, so that we can continue offering low-cost services to those who need it the most. This clinic is a great service for county residents, and we will go wherever we need to."