JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Jefferson County Public Health is launching its first mobile clinic to take health care on the go.
The clinic is inside a van that will travel through the county, offering the same services available at on-site clinics. The goal is to deliver services to people in rural areas, people with limited mobility and who don't have access to transportation.
"We have very talented nurses and providers that want to be able to get out and render this kind of important clinical public health care," said Max Johnson, director of clinic services with Jefferson County Public Health. "This is our way of saying, 'We see you, we hear you, we understand the needs and we want to meet them.'"
The van is filled with technology to stay powered in rural areas. In the past, the health department would have to rely on community partners for power and shelter for clinics held in rural parts of the county.
"It's got runways for us to run power supplies so that it can act kind of as an off-site generator, as well as hold our deep freezers for COVID and flu vaccines," Johnson said.
In addition to vaccines, the clinic will offer sexual health services and substance use services.
The clinic will serve the community with public events and private home visits. You can find the mobile clinic's public events on Jefferson County Public Health's social media and request a private visit, on Jefferson County Public Health's website.
Johnson said a nurse screens each person who requests a visit to make sure they meet the requirements for a home visit.
"If we can't come and bring that individualized homebound care to your home, maybe you don't meet all of the prerequisites for that care, we can screen that, figure out where the next closest event is going to be to you, and match that up if possible, or figure out how to get you into our onsite clinic," Johnson said.
On July 10, Jefferson County Public Health will hold a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Belmar Park Library parking lot. They're asking the community to come out and share how a mobile clinic can best serve them.
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