VASNHS Marks First Deployment of Mobile Medical Unit

The VASNHS Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) made its first deployment to a non-VA site at the U.S. Vets center in downtown Las Vegas. Staff from Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team saw over 25 Veterans and provided clinical care to nearly a dozen patients in its first day of operations. 

The vehicle is one of 25 mobile medical units deployed across the country during the past year to provide health care and support to homeless and at-risk Veterans. “This mobile medical unit gives us chance to bring a primary care clinic appointment right to our Veterans in need,” said Liz Jarman, VASNHS Community Resource and Referral Center program coordinator. 

Mobile medical units are vans or trucks that move from one location to another to provide a private space for eligible Veterans to meet with medical providers, including mental health clinicians, social workers, and other staff that provide primary care, women’s health, audiology, laboratory, and telehealth services to those who may not have access to a local VA medical center.

U.S. Vets is one of several locations that the VASNHS MMU will continue to visit going forward. Other locations include Help USA, West Care, Salvation Army Las Vegas, and many other outreach opportunities. The MMU will initially deploy 2-3 times per week, with the goal of reaching as many Veterans as possible. Plans are in place to deploy to rural communities throughout the VASNHS catchment area. At this time, there is no schedule in place for upcoming deployments, but Veterans are encouraged to check with their local shelters for notifications. 

Ending Veteran homelessness is a top priority for VA, and President Biden has made supporting Veterans a key pillar of his Unity Agenda for the nation. In 2022 alone, VA housed more than 40,000 formerly homeless Veterans, prevented more than 17,700 Veterans and their families from falling into homelessness, and helped nearly 191,700 additional Veteran families who were experiencing financial difficulties retain their homes or avoid foreclosure. Thanks in part to these efforts, the number of Veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen by 11% since early 2020 and by more than 55% since 2010. In 2023, VA has set a goal to house at least 38,000 Veterans.

“Veterans experiencing homelessness face a variety of barriers to accessing health care, including a lack of transportation,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “With these new mobile medical units, homeless and at-risk Veterans don’t have to visit VA hospitals — we come right to them.”

These MMUs have been made available through VA’s Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams, whose mission is to address the unique needs and distinct challenges homeless Veterans face both accessing and engaging in health care. In addition to MMUs, VA already has 83 Mobile Vet Centers around the country to provide confidential counseling and outreach to eligible individuals in communities that are distant or remote from existing services.

If you are a Veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at: 877-4AID-VET

Office: 877-424-3838

 Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness