Since last fall, children and their families in San Diego County have been receiving medical and dental care in a state-of-the-art mobile clinic as part of a partnership between La Maestra Community Health Centers and the Verizon Foundation.

The foundation awarded a $90,000 grant to La Maestra last year to help support telemedicine capabilities in the mobile RV clinic and deliver quality healthcare services to patients at schools, housing complexes, community events and key retail shopping areas. The mobile clinic is now equipped with the latest telemedicine and X-ray systems technology.

[See also: Telemedicine for all.]

While many healthcare providers are still using film X-ray, La Maestra's mobile clinic will soon add digital capabilities, enabling providers to catch potentially life-threatening conditions far in advance. The new telemedicine capabilities will also bridge the gap between the mobile clinic and medical clinics, making timely patient-provider consultations more attainable and patients' records more accessible.

With the foundation's support, La Maestra's mobile medical clinic has established a regular schedule on site at five schools in the San Diego Unified School District and in two schools at the National school district (National City) to reach many of these underserved residents.

[See also: Verizon donates $100K to Philadelphia hospital for telemedicine.]

"Access to medical and dental care is always a challenge for our patient population, and La Maestra is dedicated to expanding opportunities for families in this area," said Zara Marselian, CEO of La Maestra Community Health Centers, in a news release. "Many of the children who visit our mobile clinic have never seen a doctor or a dentist before.  Our partnership with Verizon is having an immediate impact and changing people's lives, and it's helping the healthcare system by keeping patients from using emergency rooms for primary medical care."

La Maestra is currently working to expand its mobile clinic to more area schools.