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Fresno County recognizes Rural Mobile Health Program after CSAC Challenge Award; program credited with 10,000 patients served
Summary
The Board adopted a resolution honoring the Department of Public Health's Rural Mobile Health Program, which used a $6 million ARPA allocation to deliver free medical and vision services to agricultural and rural residents and was recognized with a California State Association of Counties Challenge Award.
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution recognizing the Fresno County Department of Public Health after the department’s Rural Mobile Health Program received a 2024 California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Challenge Award.
The board’s resolution acknowledged the program’s work bringing no‑cost medical and vision services directly to agricultural workers and rural residents through mobile units. David Lucchini, director of the Department of Public Health, told the board the program was launched with a $6,000,000 ARPA allocation and grew from community health assessments that identified transportation, cost and provider shortages as major barriers to care.
Why it matters: Public health officials credited the program with both expanding access in underserved rural communities and leveraging local partners to provide ongoing care coordination and referrals to a medical home.
Program partners and services: Deputy Health Officer Dr. Trinidad Solis said the county collaborates with UCSF Fresno, Saint Agnes Medical Center, and Suu Kyi Medical Foundation, along with a community health worker network made up of local community‑based organizations. The program’s services include preventive screenings, vaccinations, STD testing and eye exams; the board heard the program has served more than 10,000 patients since February 2023 and that community health workers reached roughly 89,000 people with education and resource connections.
Public praise and motion: Supervisors attending the CSAC awards and members of the board commended county staff for the program’s reach. Dr. Kenny Bahn of UCSF Fresno, who directs UCSF’s mobile health program and partners with the county, told the board the program also supports regional physician training and helps lower health costs by improving access to care. The board moved, seconded, and adopted the resolution by unanimous voice vote.
Ending: County officials said the award underscores the program’s use of partnerships to address rural access barriers and thanked community organizations and residents who participated in the mobile clinic events.
