San Rafael's Ritter Center Launches Mobile Medical Van

SAN RAFAEL, CA — A San Rafael group that brings services to Marin residents experiencing poverty on Wednesday announced the launch of a mobile medical van that will provide primary care to unsheltered people who do not have access to a medical provider.

The Ritter Center’s mobile medical van is designed to reach individuals who are often hardest to connect with and are less likely to be accessing Marin County’s health care entities for COVID-19 testing and primary medical care, the group said.

The van will be operated by Ritter Center’s Advance Practice Practitioner and Care Coordinator to provide urgent primary medical care services, and preventive care, while also connecting patients with behavioral health support, shelter and housing resources, medical insurance registration, and access to food and income.

The medical van aims to provide rapid COVID-19 testing and follow-up to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission; trauma-informed primary care prevention and treatment; and coordination with other Marin County service providers to allow for a range of social support offerings.

These services are designed to serve people experiencing homelessness, people disconnected from Primary Care services, people exiting institutions who were homeless upon entry, youth, people fleeing domestic violence, populations who are uninsured or not easily insured, as well as people who are at risk of homelessness.

“This is a natural extension of Ritter’s mission to treat the whole person,” Ritter Center Executive Director Mark Shotwell said in a statement.

“We can create opportunities for those who have historically been underserved or unserved by our safety net system. Ritter Center is able to provide a robust range of services to people experiencing homelessness, such as the COVID-19 vaccine or treatment for Hepatitis C.

“We can drive this van within a block or two of where someone is sleeping or if they are housed, we can still close that gap and offer direct services. The impact on each person’s long term health and the entire health care system is significant because fewer hospitalizations save money. Mobile medical services simultaneously address issues of health education, access and impact to make significant inroads into the community and bring benefits to the entire population.”

Ritter will provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services and will ensure that both the Nurse Practitioner and Medical Assistant staff are bilingual English and Spanish speakers.

Ritter Center will also partner with Community Action Marin, Downtown Streets Team, New Beginnings and the West Marin Food Pantry.

The Ritter Center Street Medicine Team is supported through funding from Marin County, Kaiser Permanente and the Health Resources and Services Administration.