Community Care Vans

Our Community Care Vans are designed to expand access to health care services across the diverse communities in the Greater Boston area served by Mass General Brigham.

Mass General Brigham's mobile medical Community Care Vans bring a broad menu of mobile medical services, including screenings and interventions for chronic health issues like hypertension, diabetes, and substance use disorders. The Community Care Vans, originally deployed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, are staffed with multilingual and multicultural clinicians and support staff to better connect with the communities served by Mass General Brigham.

In January of 2021, Mass General Brigham launched a fleet of Community Care Vans in our local communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing COVID testing, vaccines, and reliable health information to patients and residents. Information and resources were provided in a variety of languages along with care kits containing items like masks and hand sanitizer.

As of May 2023, the Community Care Vans had administered more than 20,000 vaccines to community residents. To address social determinants of health, patients are screened for issues related to housing, access to healthy food, and personal safety, and connected with relevant resources.

A woman with gray hair while wearing a long-sleeved light green t-shirt. She has a blood pressure cuff on her left arm as a healthcare professional takes a blood pressure reading.

Now, as COVID-19 transitions from an acute pandemic to a more endemic state, the Mass General Brigham mobile medical Community Care Vans have also evolved to meet people where they are and currently provide the following services:

Hypertension and diabetes care: Screening and intervention, including blood pressure readings, lipid and A1C levels testing and physical activity assessments, titration of medication and connection to primary care medical homes
Substance use disorder: Screening, treatment program referrals and recovery coaching
Social risk mitigation: Ongoing assessments on social determinants of health (food, housing, etc.) with connection to services

Mass General Brigham Community Care Vans are stationed in the community to provide increased access and care for preventable conditions that disproportionately affect historically marginalized individuals.

Mass General Brigham Community Health leadership team with leaders from community partner La Colaborativa, as well as Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

A group of 10 people smiling together for a photo. The group is made up of leaders from La Colaborativa and Mass General Brigham with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

Mass General Brigham Medical Director for Community-based Clinical Programs Priya Sarin Gupta, MD, MPH, takes a blood pressure reading of a patient.

A female doctor takes a blood pressure reading of an older patient inside a mobile health van with medical equipment.

The Community Care Vans are equipped to bring mobile medical services, including screenings and interventions for chronic health issues like hypertension, diabetes, and substance use disorders.

A medical examination area in a mobile van with medical equipment and sanitizing gel on the wall.

Mass General Brigham Medical Director for Community-based Clinical Programs Priya Sarin Gupta, MD, MPH, and Taylor Boyd, MD, MGH Internal Medicine Residency program resident, staff the Community Care Vans, offering screening and care for hypertension, diabetes, and substance use disorder.

A blood pressure cuff inside a mobile health van with two female doctors standing, smiling, and chatting in the background

The vans are staffed with multilingual and multicultural clinicians and support staff to connect with individuals in the migrant community served by Mass General Brigham.

Four healthcare professionals sitting and standing outside the Mass General Brigham Community Care Van, looking at two laptop screens and having a discussion. Two of them are wearing blue scrubs with lanyard tags, while the other two are wearing blue short-sleeved t-shirts that say "Community Care Vans" on the front. Three of them are masked.

In your community

Our mobile van schedule is updated weekly. Find out information for dates, times, and locations.

View the Mobile Van Schedule

Community Care Vans

In your community

Related news