Mobile healthcare: Medical services provided to homeless using van
Healthcare in Action offers medical services using a well-equipped van stocked with supplies and medication.
LOS FELIZ (KABC) -- On Monday, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman went for a ride along with Healthcare in Action. It's a nonprofit providing mobile medical care to those experiencing homelessness.
Raman's office gave the nonprofit a $5,000 grant earlier this year.
"As a council district, I think this is really how we can try and fill some of those gaps that we're seeing particularly from LA County Health and mental health services," Raman said.
Healthcare in Action offers medical services using a well-equipped van so that a physician assistant and a social worker can meet patients where they're at.
"We provide social service navigation as well as housing navigation and that is integrated into our medical care," said Robert Finch, a physician assistant for Healthcare in Action.
More than 15,000 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County are dealing with a serious mental health illness, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Michael Hochman, CEO of Healthcare in Action, said they approach mental illness with the same urgency as any other medical issue.
"One of our ulterior motives with doing this work is to gain the trust through medical care to get the patients stabilized," Hochman said.
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