Mobile Clinic Effects on a Rural Emergency Department
Levenson, Jonathan; Hudson, John S.
Why this matters
Rural hospitals absorbing non-urgent visits in the emergency department may have an alternative in a mobile clinic. A conference presentation describes a nurse-run mobile clinic launched in Southampton County, Virginia in 2023 to take on non-urgent care, without yet reporting its effect on emergency department volume.
Abstract
This research examines how mobile clinics can increase access to care for non-urgent care outside of the emergency department while being mindful of the socioeconomic factors of a community. The Old Dominion University Mobile Medical Clinic is a nurse-run clinic that began operating in Southampton County, Virginia in the Summer of 2023. The study addresses how emergency departments can be overwhelmed with patients seeking both urgent and non-urgent care, especially in rural and underserved communities, with non-urgent care accounting for over half of all visits in most EDs.