Stamford Mobile Medical Program: Collaborating with Community Partners to Reach Vulnerable Populations

The Stamford Department of Health and Social Services (SDHSS) used funding from Stamford Hospital and City of Stamford emergency preparedness funds to purchase a Mobile Medical Program (MMP) vehicle to be used as an emergency response vehicle and a public health education, screening and outreach vehicle. Through a collaborative partnership with Stamford Hospital, SDHSS was able to purchase the necessary supplies for the outreach program, which provides health education, medical screening, and referrals to vulnerable populations in Stamford. The MMP success is attributed to available resources within the SDHSS and through partnerships with local community agencies. Within SDHSS, the MMP has incorporated services from departments including the Dental Hygiene Program to provide dental screening; Community Nursing to provide medical screening and healthcare referral; Social Services to link patients to needed services; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program to provide nutritional education and resources; HIV Prevention to provide education, outreach, and testing; and the Laboratory to provide diagnostic services. The SDHSS has partnered with local not-for-profit organizations, including Stamford Hospital, providing funding and collaborating on community programs, local soup kitchens, local shelters, places of worship and federally qualified health centers in the community to outreach to vulnerable populations and link them with available community resources.