Residents testified during a council meeting Tuesday to support funding for a mobile medical clinic to benefit under-insured and under-resourced youth through a local non-profit.
Last week, the Montgomery County Council introduced a $450,000 special appropriation to purchase the mobile unit for Casa Ruben, Inc., a non-profit organization that offers healthcare mostly to low-income residents, immigrants and families of color, per council documents. A council committee worksession is set for Thursday.
Over the course of the pandemic, Casa Ruben has provided more than 7,000 vaccinations to Montgomery County children.
Tania Perez-Fuentes, a community member, Montgomery County Public Schools educator and vaccine hunter, said she works with uninsured students. Casa Ruben held COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinics for her students and during the peak of Omicron, staff responded within two hours to test students in her program to avoid an outbreak, at no cost to students.
“With this vehicle, medical services can reach many,” Fuentes said.
Mario Alvarado Villa, a county resident, said in Spanish that Casa Ruben is always available to help vulnerable families, and many who are immigrants and do not have health insurance. Villa said that thanks to the organization, he had access to the COVID-19 vaccine. He said a mobile medical vehicle would help those with limited resources and would save lives.
Rockville resident Nicolas Copeland said it is important for everyone to have healthcare.
“I have an epilepsy condition,” said 22-year-old Copeland. “Thankfully, I have medicine and good doctors to help me. All kids deserve to have healthcare.”
“Although we are all in the same health storm, we are in very different boats,” said Jillian Copeland, founder of Main Street Connect, an inclusive apartment building and community for people of all abilities in Rockville. The pediatric mobile clinic will provide a lifeboat for those who are underserved in zip codes where they do not have access to healthcare, she said.
Councilmembers voiced their support.
“This is exactly the kind of best practices that we have to maintain and we have to expand,” said Councilmember Nancy Navarro.
“We, in the pandemic, have learned a lot,” said Councilmember Andrew Friedson. “But, one of the things we’ve learned is that we can’t sit back and wait for folks to come to us for services, we have to go to them. We have to do it on their turf, in their terms, in their language, in a way that is culturally competent. This is going to help us do that.”
The Robert I. Schattner Foundation, a private charity foundation based in Rockville, will provide matching funding to Casa Ruben to support staffing and operating costs for the mobile clinic.
Casa Ruben will work with the county’s Department of Health and Human Services to reach families.
