COVID-19 Equity Project

ATTENTION: CEP is now Mobile HeaL. For more information or clinic dates and locations, please CLICK HERE. Currently Mobile HeaL is only offering PCR COVID testing.

The UCSF Fresno Mobile HeaL COVID-19 Equity Project (CEP) was an offshoot of UCSF Fresno Mobile Health and Learning (Mobile HeaL).

Mobile HeaL is a mobile clinic established by UCSF Fresno, a regional campus of the UCSF School of Medicine. It began providing services in 2018 under the directorship of Kenny Banh, MD, professor of Emergency Medicine physician and Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education at UCSF Fresno.

Mobile HeaL continues to make no-cost care accessible where it is needed most to address disparities within the health care system.

CEP, which operated as a drive-thru clinic from September 2020 until April 14, 2023, was a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was developed as a drive-thru, first-come, first-served free COVID-19 testing service for underserved communities and people of color with $5 million in federal CARES Act funds secured through the City of Fresno. CEP first established a drive-thru clinic at Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries in southeast Fresno and later at Fresno City College. It maintained operations at a static drive-thru clinic at the UC Merced building across from Fashion Fair Mall.

In 2021 and 2022, with additional financial support from the City and from the County of Fresno, UCSF Fresno Mobile HeaL CEP added free COVID-19 vaccine injections; and CEP became the first clinic in Fresno to provide monoclonal antibody therapy beginning in fall 2021. And in 2022, it added Paxlovid treatment to services offered.

CEP also provided influenza vaccines, and beginning in August 2022, CEP became a site for free Monkeypox (MPX) vaccine injections. UCSF Fresno was uniquely positioned to quickly provide COVID-19 testing, vaccine injections, therapies and treatment for the public, free of charge, and to swiftly include MPX vaccine as that need presented.

By 2022, CEP had become the largest test-to-treat site for COVID-19 in Fresno County.

UCSF Fresno Mobile HeaL CEP gave more than 91,000 COVID-19 tests, administered more than 76,000 vaccine injections and provided therapies and treatment to more than 600 COVID-19 patients between September 2020 and April 14, 2023.

UCSF Fresno Mobile HeaL purposely chose a free, no-insurance, no-appointment mobile model of care for CEP to eliminate barriers to COVID-19 services for vulnerable populations, specifically communities of color who were disproportionately affected during the pandemic.

CEP had two medically-equipped recreational vehicles for mobile events, allowing COVID-19 testing, vaccine, therapy and treatment services, flu vaccine and MPX vaccine to be taken directly into underserved areas, specifically to communities of color, homeless populations and people in marginalized neighborhoods.

CEP hired staff from within the communities being served and collaborated with community-based organizations to provide culturally appropriate and accessible COVID-19 services.

And CEP worked hand-in-hand with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to provide outreach and education about COVID-19 and MPX to reach people in medically under resourced and marginalized communities. The alliance with CBOs helped build trust in communities with systemic inequities and with longstanding mistrust of government and health care.

Approximately 80% of CEP clients self-identified as persons of color.

Joe Prado, assistant director of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, has said this about the effects of CEP had on the community: “I don’t know where we would be without UCSF Fresno CEP’s response to the pandemic. They mobilized in ways no one else could.”

As a regional campus of UCSF, the mission of UCSF Fresno is to provide high-quality health care, but also to train the next generation of physicians for the San Joaquin Valley. CEP also provided clinical opportunities in the community. Faculty at UCSF Fresno provided direct medical services and supervised CEP staff who were trained to provide testing, vaccines, therapies and anti-viral treatments. This gave pre-health staff valuable clinical experience for their future success in medical school and health professions.

Several CEP staffers were influenced by their clinical opportunities at CEP to pursue careers in health or to return to school for higher degrees in health care fields. At least six CEP staffers were accepted by medical schools; three of these were accepted to the UCSF San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education (SJV PRIME), a tailored track at UCSF School of Medicine for medical students committed to ensuring high quality, diverse and well distributed medical care to improve health for populations in the medically under resourced San Joaquin Valley.

UCSF Fresno Mobile HeaL CEP and medical director Dr. Banh were recognized with awards for outstanding community service by the Fresno Madera Medical Society and American Association of Medical Colleges Group on Regional Medical Colleges.

CLICK HERE for information on Mobile HeaL and our upcoming mobile clinics.

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