Mobile Clinic Effects on a Rural Emergency Department

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.