On Wednesday, the University of Central Florida (UCF) introduced a new 38-foot UCF Health Mobile Health Clinic. The clinic is designed to provide free healthcare services to underserved communities. It also serves as a mobile classroom, giving UCF healthcare students practical experience in community care. This is the first interdisciplinary clinical care program from UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Center (AHSC), which includes the colleges of Health Professions and Sciences, Medicine, and Nursing. The program supports interprofessional education, research, and patient care.
The mobile clinic focuses on low-income, uninsured, and underinsured populations in Orange and Osceola counties. Many residents in these areas face barriers to healthcare, such as transportation and financial challenges. The clinic offers services like blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and hearing screenings. It also provides chronic disease monitoring, fall-risk assessments, medication reviews, audiology services, and health education. The clinic has two private exam rooms, diagnostic equipment, and point-of-care testing. Its goal is to help reduce preventable health conditions and improve health outcomes for Central Florida residents.
Deborah German, vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, said that collaborative care can improve patient outcomes. Caridad Hernandez, chair of medical education at the College of Medicine, said the clinic complements existing community health centers and charitable clinics. She said it aims to fill gaps and provide care in locations that are convenient for patients…