MedCity News: Access to healthcare isn’t enough, we must build community trust

by Mollie Williams, Executive Director, Mobile Health Map at Harvard Medical School

Mobile health clinics are particularly effective in facilitating access to health care for marginalized groups. Not only do they advance health equity, but they also complement other objectives of health care organizations, such as building trust and expanding community reach.

In June, a new report from the Centers for Diseases Control on access to Covid-19 therapies revealed a gaping hole in our nation’s healthcare system. Despite having established nearly 40,000 dispensing sites – particularly in high-vulnerability neighborhoods – those areas had the lowest rates of distribution. In short, lifesaving treatments are available, but the people who need them the most aren’t getting them.