RAPID CITY — “Our goal is to bring healthcare services to where people are and try to engage people to take care of their health,” said Mobile Medical Unit Family Doctor Kurt Ward.
A new “doctor’s office on wheels” is rolling into rural Northern Michigan, aiming to bring health care directly to people who need it most.
The Mobile Medical Unit has now expanded to Rapid City and is prepared to manage a variety of health conditions form urgent care concerns to Medicaid enrollment.
The MMU is stocked with medications, an EKG machine, lab equipment, and even flu and covid testing. Outreach care coordinator for the mobile health unit Brieanne Sika said it’s especially critical for people without insurance.
“We do not turn anybody away, if you have insurance, we can bill your insurance. If you don’t have insurance, we have people here who are happy to help you apply for Medicaid if you qualify for it,” said Sika. “If you don’t and you qualify for other things, we can help you get resources for those needs as well.”
Family doctor Kurt Ward at the MMU said they see a little bit of everything.
“Sometimes we feel like we’re an urgent care, sometimes we feel like we’re an emergency department, and sometimes we feel like we’re a primary care doctor’s office.”
And if they run across something the unit doesn’t have the capacity to help with, rest assure you’ll still get the treatment you need through various medical partnerships.
“And if we can’t take care of it, we’ll make sure that they get where they need to go.”
Ward said the reason the Mobile Medical Unit was expanded to Kalkaska County was because the need appeared to be greater in the region.
“They felt like this was a good central location, where unhoused people might be able to access more easily and a place where they aren’t accessing care already.”
Some of the hardships people face can be extensive.
“People have difficulty accessing health care services, and so people can go to their primary care doctors, within their communities,” said Ward. “But there are some people that don’t have transportation to get services or there are other financial barriers to getting services; or they have had difficulty interacting effectively with health care services.”