Mobile Medical Clinic for All Angelenos

Health care access

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

LA has significant disparities in access to quality healthcare, especially for BIPOC women and children. And, while LA is rich in resources, they are often hard to access. For example, Black mothers are four times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than their Caucasian counterparts. This is significant, as the infant mortality rate for Black babies in Los Angeles County is twice as high as the overall rate in the USA.
Our Mobile Medical Unit meets this need bringing vital general health and prenatal care directly into under-resourced neighborhoods across LA. For example, we recently served a patient with chronic heart failure who had been hoping for a baby for years. She visited our mobile unit for a pregnancy test and discovered she was pregnant. Due to her medical condition, it was crucial that she received immediate care. We promptly referred her to one of our high-risk OB providers at our mobile clinic and provided specialized care for her high-risk pregnancy.

Claris launched its Mobile Unit in 2019 to provide easier access to integrated healthcare throughout LA. It began as a pop-up clinic at a housing community in Compton in 2017 and grew into a 30-foot mobile vehicle to provide services directly to those in need. It offers pregnancy testing and treatment, well-woman exams, birth control, nutrition counseling, prenatal care, and general health screenings.
The Mobile Unit operates five days a week and serves at 20 partner sites that are desperate for their clients to receive medical services. This includes substance abuse treatment facilities, homeless shelters, transitional-age youth facilities, food banks, low-income housing communities, and more. Some of these sites consistently serve pregnant patients who have no access to prenatal care.
Care is tailored to the individual based on their unique needs. Many of our patients have experienced trauma, which has negatively impacted their ability to voice their concerns, emotions, and needs. Our patient-led approach respects the patient’s desires and restores dignity to survivors of sexual assault, trafficking, and domestic violence.
Daily, it is changing lives. We recently served a college student at our mobile unit. She came for an STI check and discovered she was four months pregnant. She was referred to our medical clinic for an ultrasound and was connected to other resources. Thanks to our intervention, she avoided further delays, helping to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Claris’ vision for success includes expanding our capacity to bring hope to those who feel forgotten or alone. As a past patient shared, “Claris was a safe place when I was escaping an unsafe situation. When my own family turned their back on me, Claris became family.”
Last year our Mobile Unit impacted more than 770 people through 20+ community sites. We want to do more. During the October 2024 and 2025 grant timeframe, the mobile clinic will:
Provide healthcare for 825 individuals who would otherwise go without care.
Expand the number of service sites to 22 sites throughout Los Angeles.
In the long-term Claris plans to expand access to healthcare to thousands of people by opening a community campus in South LA. It will include space for multiple service providers, shared classrooms, caseworkers, a playground, drop-in childcare, and a coffee shop. Our goal is to create a beautiful, safe place for people to access care and services under one roof and provide connection and community.

Almost daily we hear from people about how the Mobile Medical Unit has made a life-altering difference in their lives. And through our annual survey 85% of community partners surveyed report high satisfaction with services provided through the Mobile Medical Unit.
Claris’ executive leadership meets regularly to monitor progress, analyze results, and discuss adjustments to meet objectives. Patient and partner feedback is analyzed monthly to ensure needs are being met. Impact is measured through performance indicators, which are reviewed quarterly by the Board of Directors.
Claris is licensed as a primary care clinic by the California Health Department, accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, and funded through California’s Family PACT program. These agencies bring additional accountability and distinguish Claris through rigorous standards of care, safety, and quality improvement.