PHOENIX – In Arizona, 12.4% of residents live in poverty, and 12.1% of people under 65 lack health insurance, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Mobile health clinics are helping to bridge the gap by providing essential care to underserved communities.
On the morning of Nov. 20, a green bus backed into a parking lot at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Grant Street in Phoenix with hazard lights flashing. The bus, a mobile health clinic operated by Valleywise Health , was soon ready to serve. Staff set up a table with informational flyers, placed a sign welcoming walk-ins and opened the clinic doors to the public.
Inside, exam rooms offered a range of services, including sports physicals, women’s health care, children’s check-ups and HIV testing…