New clinic takes health care mobile

Deirdre Newman

COSTA MESA -- When Pedro Ruiz’s 8-year-old son, Brian, developed an

earache, he didn’t have many medical options.

Without insurance, Ruiz and his son would have been turned away from

most medical clinics.

So Ruiz turned instead to a new mobile health clinic that camps out at

Whittier Elementary School twice a month. The Healthy Tomorrows Mobile

Health Clinic is a collaborative effort between Children’s Hospital of

Orange County, Hoag Hospital physicians, the Share Our Selves community

clinic and the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

The clinic’s importance to the community is underscored by statistics

showing that 13% of the children in Orange County are uninsured and 57%

of the uninsured are Latino.

“We assessed the area, and this is where we felt the greatest need

was,” said Silvia Amaro, a manager at CHOC.

The clinic includes two examining rooms in a converted 36-foot

recreational vehicle. The bilingual staff -- a nurse practitioner, a

nurse and the driver -- provide physical exams, immunizations, vision and

hearing screenings, and sick visits.

While appointments are recommended, the clinic also accepts walk-ins

and has been doing brisk business since it drove into Costa Mesa in early

November. It also serves the Share Our Selves community clinic on

Saturdays.

Nurse practitioner Lynn Maroney said working with people who would

otherwise be denied access to medical care is extremely gratifying.

“I like that we’re a bridge helping people access affordable medical

care,” Maroney said.

In addition to treating children, the nurses also recommend low-cost

health insurance for families and try to find them a permanent medical

home in the community.

After the medical visits, the children get to pick out books to take

home with them, as part of CHOC’s reading program.

At that point, Brian’s grimace from his earache turned to a smile as

he excitedly began perusing the Christmas card-decorating book he chose.