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Birmingham VA Launches Mobile Orthotics & Prosthetics Program to Improve Access

Three people standing next to a blue MoPOC van.
The Birmingham VA Health Care System is launching the Mobile Orthotics & Prosthetics (MoPOC) program to serve more veterans in their communities. (L to R) Juliana Powell, Certified Prosthetists; Tyler Nichols, Certified Prosthetists and Orthotists; and Zipporah Gunn, Certified Orthotists, are leading the MoPOC mobile unit, bringing care closer to where Veterans live.

By Birmingham VA Health Care System, Public Affairs Office

The Birmingham VA Health Care System is making it easier for rural Veterans to get specialty care by starting the Mobile Orthotics & Prosthetics (MoPOC) program.

This nationwide VA effort brings important services closer to where Veterans live.

Starting the week of April 20, a new mobile unit will visit community outpatient clinics in Jasper, Guntersville, and Childersburg. Staffed by a Certified Orthotist Prosthetist, the unit can provide on-site evaluations, adjustments, and fittings.

MoPOC helps Veterans get care without having to travel long distances. It fills a big gap in places where local orthotic and prosthetic services are hard to find.

“Veterans living in many of our rural communities have had limited access to orthotic and prosthetic care without traveling long distances,” said Adam McKinley, Chief of Prosthetics, Birmingham VA Health Care System. “The Mobile Orthotics & Prosthetics program allows us to bring that care closer to home — making it more convenient and ensuring we better meet the medical needs of the Veterans we serve.”

The mobile unit offers these services:

  • Prosthetic adjustments and amputee care
  • Custom and off-the-shelf bracing
  • Therapeutic shoes and foot orthotics
  • Compression stockings and other supportive devices 

VA Care Teams will proactively contact eligible Veterans for this service. Veterans can also join the program by requesting their VA care team to place a consultation or by directly speaking with their provider.

The mobile clinic will visit each location on a weekly schedule:

  • Jasper: Mondays
  • Guntersville: Tuesdays
  • Childersburg: Wednesdays 

“We consistently hear from Veterans about the challenges of traveling to receive these services,” added McKinley.  “When this opportunity became available, we knew MoPOC was the right solution. We are proud to bring these services directly to rural Alabama and to the Veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.”

This program shows VA’s ongoing commitment to making care more accessible, convenient, and focused on Veterans, no matter where they live.