A new mobile medical clinic is expanding health care access on Molokaʻi.
Launched by the Molokaʻi Community Health Center, the Mana Mobile Medical Clinic can provide primary care services and select lab work — including all COVID-19 tests.
The van is equipped with an exam room and blood draw station. Clinicians can provide blood sugar tests and urine tests including pregnancy checks.
A physician, resident nurse, and community health worker will always be on site.
ʻOhana by Hawaiian Airlines stopped service to Molokaʻi last year — making it harder for island residents to access health care services.
"So now Molokaʻi has one airline carrier and it makes it that much harder for patients to get off island to see their specialists," said Helen Kekalia, the CEO of the Molokaʻi Community Health Center.
"So I think that was another way that we wanted to reimagine telehealth for Molokaʻi was, you know, let's continue prioritizing face-to-face visits, quality visits with our providers and mobilize them and then let's target using the telehealth access point for those specialists that have now become even harder to get to because of our airline shortage," Kekalia tells HPR.
Kekalia says Molokaʻi Community Health Center is working on bringing more specialty care providers to the island — specifically dermatology and cardiology.
The Mana Mobile Medical Clinic is currently stationed at the Maunaloa Community Center on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Molokaʻi Community Health Center is underway to bring the mobile clinic to the east Molokaʻi and Hoʻolehua, Kualapuʻu areas.
