ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The University of South Florida is trying to provide greater access to healthcare in the Tampa Bay area by launching a new mobile, or Mo-Bull, Nurse Medical Clinic.
On Wednesday, USF rolled out the mobile health unit, which has a mission to enhance healthcare accessibility for underserved populations, all while advancing nursing education.
“We'll be treating patients that, they come for care regardless of their ability to pay, regardless of their insurance status, those who are experiencing homelessness, those who are uninsured. Essentially, anybody that wishes to receive medical care, we’re happy to provide that,” said Kumar Jairamdas, the Director of Clinical Practice at USF.
USF said the clinic will serve as a clinical training site for undergraduate nursing students. It has two exam rooms, a lab, and a diagnostic center.
Jairamdas explained it as essentially a primary care provider clinic on wheels.
"We'll be doing health screenings, your yearly physicals, sick visits, well visits, sports physicals, rapid testing. So for example, pregnancy urinalysis, flu tests, strep tests,” said Jairamdas.
USF said it’s set to begin this summer serving five critical areas of need in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.
Stephanie Mago is a nursing student at USF-St. Pete.
“I am a minority. I am Latina. I am Hispanic, and I do know there’s so many communities out there that are under-represented, don’t have access to healthcare,” said Mago. “This mobile bus unit has given the opportunity for those populations to just have the ability to receive healthcare.”
