NHC's new mobile van helps bring care to where it's needed most.

Lack of transportation, the inability to take time off work and not knowing how or where to access care are all factors that can make it difficult for many in our community to come into a doctor’s office to receive care. This is especially true for historically marginalized populations.

To help address and overcome these barriers, NHC has acquired a new mobile medical van. The new vehicle was provided by a generous grant from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). It will allow NHC to deliver medical care services to patients across the community.

Many NHC patients have underlying health conditions, putting them at significantly higher risk for infectious diseases. The new mobile van will enable our care team to reach these patients, offering increased testing and vaccination at a critical time in the pandemic.

Maribel Renteria manages NHC’s Canby Medical Clinic and has helped lead a number of infectious disease vaccine outreach efforts to mobile and food system workers in the Canby area.

Maribel and her team have vaccinated an estimated 220 mobile workers at four separate outreaches since April. She says the new mobile medical van will allow them to reach more mobile workers with more health care services — and extend NHC’s outreach to a wider geographic area. With spikes in infectious disease cases across the region, the van couldn’t have come at a better time.

Thank you, OHA, for providing this tremendous resource to our community.