Healing on Wheels: Saban’s Mobile Clinic Brings Medical Care to the Streets of Hollywood
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One of the more innovative new healthcare resources to make an impact on the Hollywood community is the mobile van offered by the Saban Community Clinic. The van – or “Mobile Clinic” as it is known – has been particularly helpful in bringing mental and physical healthcare to the underserved community of folks experiencing homelessness in Hollywood.
Saban’s Mobile van is a state-of-the-art medical facility that offers a wide range of services to their clients, including primary care, dental care, vision care, behavioral health services, and social services. The clinic is staffed by teams of experienced and compassionate medical professionals who are dedicated to providing high-quality care to all patients.
Saban launched their street medicine program in 2018 to address the growing need for homeless healthcare services in Hollywood, and to provide continuity of care for a population that can be difficult to keep in treatment for chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and mental illness.
According to Jackie Provost, Saban’s Chief Strategy Officer, the mobile van, which hit the streets of Hollywood in the summer of 2022, was the natural next step in their street medicine program. “Saban has always been about providing comprehensive healthcare that is accessible to everyone. Our mobile van has allowed us to meet people in need where they are – and to better fulfill the promise of our mission.”
On their way to fulfilling Saban’s mission, the mobile clinics have become a vital resource for the Hollywood community, providing essential healthcare and dental services to people who would otherwise have difficulty accessing care. The clinics also play an important role in promoting public health and reducing health disparities in the community.
In an interview last year with the LA Times, Saban client Robert Stennis said the mobile clinic was a significant upgrade over visiting the Emergency Room. “They know my medical history,” he said. “They interact with me. It feels like they are on my team.”
Services offered
The Saban Mobile Clinic offers a wide range of services, including:
- Primary care: physical exams, immunizations, chronic disease management, and more
- Dental care: cleanings, fillings, extractions, and more
- Behavioral health services: individual and group counseling, medication management, and more
- Social services: referrals to other social service agencies, help with housing and food assistance, and more
How to access services
The Saban Mobile Clinic is accessible to all residents of Hollywood, regardless of their income or insurance status. Patients are not required to show any identification or proof of income, or to make an appointment. Click here to request an appointment, or to refer folks who could benefit from the clinic’s services.
The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm and operates on a walk-in basis. The clinic also visits 14 temporary housing partner locations each week, offering primary and urgent medical care and comprehensive dental services. In addition, they provide referrals to psychiatric care, connections to substance use treatment, gynecological care, and gender-affirming care—all from their state-of-the-art van.
Impact on the community
Laura Hoch, the clinic's Program Manager for Homeless Services, is thrilled with the clinic's progress in its first year of operation, especially with its ability to deliver medical and dental care "to the steps of the most vulnerable in our community." Since its introduction in June of 2022, Ms. Hoch proudly explained, "our clinic's providers have offered a wide array of non-judgmental healthcare to those who otherwise may have been forgotten."
In doing so, Saban’s Mobile clinic has had a significant impact on the Hollywood community, bringing healthcare services to 916 patients in the last year alone. Between Dental and Primary care, the clinic made over 2,000 visits to patients in need, while also helping to reduce the number of uninsured and underinsured residents in Hollywood.
How to support the Saban Mobile Clinic
There are several ways to support the Saban Mobile Clinic, outlined on the Community Clinic’s Ways to Give page:
- Financial support: You can “fund a need” and choose between a variety of needs to support, including:
- Shower services
- Pharmacy services
- Mobile van fuel
- Behavioral healthcare
- Volunteer your time: Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of tasks, such as greeting patients, providing administrative support, and cleaning the clinic.
- Spread the word: Help to raise awareness about the Saban Mobile Clinic so that more people can benefit from its services.
The Saban Mobile Clinic has become a beacon of hope for the underserved in Hollywood. With all of our support, their van will continue rolling through our community offering healing and better health to all in their path.
Additional resources on this topic:
- Inside the Mobile Clinic: YouTube video
- In partnership w Saban, The Center in Hollywood’s Homeless Health Clinic
- LA Times article: Doctors’ new tool to treat homeless people: A medical clinic in a van
- Blog on the clinic from California Health Care Foundation: Clinics Follow Health Pathways to Reach the Unhoused
- Spectrum News: New mobile clinic gives homeless privacy and technology
