Care is not exclusive for UF Health patients.<\/p>\n
Expanding access to care<\/p>\n
Dr. Chirag Patel, chief medical officer for UF Health Jacksonville, says the system will devote the next three to six months to determine the best places to park the clinic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a lot of distrust in healthcare these days. It\u2019s really important that we get out and rebuild the trust with the community,\u201d Patel says. \u201cWe say, \u2018We want to help you live a better life, live a healthier life: Here\u2019s what we have to offer.\u2019 There is no pressure involved in this. Ultimately, it\u2019s your choice if you choose to use it or not. But, UF Health has your back and will come to your neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patel says the mobile clinic will hold its first stops at Jacksonville churches, like Wayman Temple, as well as senior centers.<\/p>\n
The Jacksonville Nonprofit Hospital Partnership, of which UF Health is a member, identified transportation access as one of the primary impediments between Northeast Florida residents and healthcare providers in its 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problematic nature of public transit not only affects access to healthcare, but it also means it is problematic in accessing healthy food \u2014 a critical factor in achieving optimal health,\u201d the assessment found.<\/p>\n
The 18.1% of Northeast Florida residents who receive Medicaid \u2014 the federally subsidized medical insurance program for low-income and under-resourced people \u2014 is lower than the state and national figure. However, the geographic size of Jacksonville, and the reality there is a river that runs through the heart of it, creates a transportation barrier for vulnerable, or underserved, populations.<\/p>\n
Whether it was colon cancer screenings that targeted Duval County\u2019s abnormally high colon cancer incidence rate, to identifying the cause of health disparities<\/a>, UF Health has been intentional about closing Jacksonville\u2019s healthcare gaps.<\/p>\n Shamika Baker Wright, UF Health Jacksonville vice president for external affairs and community engagement, led a team that won a private grant earlier this year.<\/p>\n From there, the system partnered with North Carolina-based Mission Mobile Medical to outfit the vehicle with a wheelchair ramp as well as private space for patients and providers.<\/p>\n Meeting people where they are<\/p>\n![\"UF](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UF-Health-mobile-care-unit-1-1024x576.webp\")
Jacksonville City Council member Chris Miller, left, listens to Shamika Baker Wright, the UF Health Jacksonville vice president of external affairs and community engagement, share how the system\u2019s first mobile care unit will expand healthcare options throughout Duval County. Baker Wright\u2019s team won a private grant that funded the conversion of a residential vehicle into the mobile clinic. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today<\/p>\n