MediVan Health and Community Services was incorporated in 1982 as a 501© (3) non-profit organization. The Agency was formed to sponsor programs designed to address unmet needs of elderly Broward County residents. In 1986, the MediVan Project was launched to provide primary health care at no cost to patients in their own communities. The mission of MediVan is to plan, promote, provide and improve access to health and social service programs for the medically underserved population in Broward County. MediVans, two handicapped-accessible mobile clinics, travel on a four week rotating basis to communities where low-income, older adults live. The MediVan patients are seen by appointment on a regular schedule.
Primary care is provided at no-cost to our clients and these services include physical examination, laboratory testing, EKG, medications, diabetes testing, blood pressure screenings, colorectal screening, prostate screening, gynecology examination, follow-up visits, nutrition counseling, health education and medications. Specialty care is arranged through the local hospital districts. These services are provided by volunteer physicians and nurses. By providing prevention, early screening, evaluation and treatment services, MediVans patients improve or maintain their health status. The minority populations served by MediVan is disproportionately affected by diabetes, (and the complications of the disease) and cardiovascular disease. To be eligible for the MediVan services, patients must be 40 years of age or older, live at or below 200% of the Federal poverty level, be uninsured (including no Medicaid or Medicare) and reside in Broward County. The MediVan Project serves a culturally diverse population: over 95% of the patients are African American, Haitian or Hispanic. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of MediVan patients live at or below 150% of poverty level and 47% are at or below 100% of the Federal poverty level. During the last full fiscal year, the MediVan Project served 159 unduplicated patients and provided 1,970 patient/doctor visits. The project addresses three major barriers to good health: increasing costs of medical care, transportation limitations and racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. While providing this care, three major benefits to the community are realized: many serious illnesses can be controlled and managed with proper preventive care; improving the health status of patients reduces the use of local emergency rooms for primary care; and preventive medical care sharply decreases the likelihood of patients requiring hospitalization or emergency medical care. Our collaborative partners are: North Broward Hospital District, Memorial Health Care System, Broward County Health Department, Nova Southeastern University-College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Corporation of America. MediVans Future Initiatives are to expand our program sites in the North and South. One of our on-going efforts is recruiting volunteer physicians, nurses, translators and professional staff to provide these services.
