Southwest Unveils New Mobile Medical Unit

Southwest is proud to welcome La Guagua to the greater Bridgeport community. For those of you who don’t know, “La Guagua” is spanish for “bus”. This hybrid medical/dental unit will allow us to broaden our community outreach, with the hope of eliminating healthcare barriers for ALL of our residents. La Guagua offers a full range of services: from medical care to dental care along with behavioral health services. 

While Connecticut has led national efforts in public insurance reform, significant health disparities persist between the state’s residents of color and white residents. Residents who identified as black or African American are 1 ⅓ times more likely to be uninsured compared to the total population, according to the most recent Census data. People who identified as Hispanic or Latino are 2 ½ times more likely to be uninsured.

Access to care is another major concern in Connecticut cities, particularly among minority residents. Here In Bridgeport, there are certain patient populations that do not have access to reliable transportation. " La Guagua will help us care for some of the most vulnerable populations throughout our city." said Mollie Melbourne, President/CEO for Southwest Community Health Center. "As the future of healthcare delivery continues to evolve, this mobile unit will allow our care teams to provide quality healthcare that is truly barrier-free. Our first initiative will be to mobilize our vaccination clinic throughout Bridgeport to offer walk-up opportunities in targeted neighborhoods."

The mobile medical unit helps to eliminate barriers of entry to the most vulnerable and limited within our community. It will provide a more patient-centric experience and will deliver high quality, accessible healthcare to ALL members of the community, especially the uninsured. At Southwest, we believe in healthcare for all and La Guaga is an important component of this strategy. 

Keep a lookout - La Guagua is coming to a neighborhood near you!