PROFESSIONAL SPACE IN MOTION
PROFESSIONAL SPACE IN MOTION
Urgent care clinics have seen a record number of patients since 2020, and the high volumes don’t seem to be going anywhere. This coupled with changes in the population and their healthcare needs, a growing shortage of physicians and other healthcare professionals, and hospitals closing in rural areas all demonstrate an increasing demand for mobile health clinics. The awareness of these changes has driven many healthcare organizations to pursue mobile clinics as a major part of their services portfolio.
They are very profitable, allowing for an expansion of geographic market share and growth in patients served, ultimately
contributing to the bottom line. Yet starting a mobile medical, mobile dental or mobile mammography program takes planning, resources, and a determination to be successful.
There are a lot of obvious things to do in starting a mobile clinic program, which include:
However, many mobile clinic start-ups make mistakes that can impede their success. Here are 8 Pitfalls You Should Avoid:
1. Avoid Impractical Expectations
Experience in starting and operating a successful physician practice, clinic or hospital requires many skills and having a sound business acumen. However, someone who operates a successful restaurant cannot necessarily transfer those skills to operating an auto parts store. The persona of customers and target market are very different, as are the type of services provided by employees and their location.
As such, the expertise in operating a successful brick and mortar medical facility is very different from operating a mobile health clinic. It takes much more than simply buying a mobile clinic and start driving around town. It involves time and unique planning to be successful. Many just starting out do not consider key benchmarks and the length of time to implement them. Be sure to do your research.
2. Do Not Leave Licensing Procedures for Last
Understand enrollment in Medicare and other appropriate insurances for mobile medical. Implementing new insurance and learning processing procedures can take up to 4 to 6 months. Insurance policies for mobile health care should include:
3. Avoid Using Off-The-Shelf Billing Software
Off the shelf billing software is most likely not the best choice for a mobile clinic and likely differs from current solutions used in a brick and mortar healthcare institution or practice. Identifying and establishing billing and EHR Software or selecting an outside contractor may take a few months, and a great deal of due diligence.
4. Do Not Brand and Market the Same Way You Market a Brick and Mortar Clinic
Marketing a mobile medical, dental or mammography business is very different than that of a traditional healthcare practice or institution. Understand the unique persona of your local audience, establish your geographic market, and align yourself with the community players, including:
Establishing and implementing effective branding and marketing takes months to execute, and it never stops.
5. Don’t Leave Licensing & Enrollment Until the End
This is a common mistake, expecting it’s just paperwork that needs to be filed. In actuality it can take a number of months, and as a medical professional, you already know how important it is to adhere to local, state, and federal laws. Be sure to understand all of the local and state regulations to ensure your mobile health clinic business is in compliance. Being out of compliance not only risks your business but can affect your medical or dental license as well.
Most regulations consist of audits, licensing and of course insurance plans. It can seem overwhelming, yet consulting with state and county government officials can help to make sure you are in regulation and understand licensing requirements, laws, and practices. If in doubt, you can potentially save a lot of money, time, and headaches by working with a lawyer who specializes in business and medical law.
6. Expecting the Insurance Programs for Patients in a Clinic is the Same as Mobile
Do not make this assumption. Though it may be very similar, look at all the options. After all, your new mobile medical clinic needs to be profitable . . . for the long term. Begin the process of identifying the best insurance in the early stages of planning, because this can also take a number of months.
Because mobile medical clinics primarily operate in rural or disenfranchised urban populations offering dental, medical or women’s health services, Medicare is often the only option. Be sure to closely evaluate (or reevaluate) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service.
7. Selecting the Wrong Mobile Clinic
Everyone knows to select a mobile dental clinic if focusing on dental procedures, or a unit equipped for mammography screenings and other imaging if it’s to be used for women’s health. However, one of the primary mistakes made with a mobile start-up is selecting the wrong vehicle, or the wrong equipment or structure of the vehicle.
Some of the biggest mistakes are:
8. Planning for The Unveiling While Ignoring the Future
It’s so easy to be excited once everything comes into place and you’re ready for the grand unveiling of you knew mobile clinic, as you should be. But don’t start celebrating until you’ve mapped out some plans for the future. Many programs take off, only to slowly die out after a couple of years.
Make sure your business plan and the vehicle you choose is structured for the future and any unplanned contingencies. Make and plan for the possibilities of changes in healthcare. Take the recent pandemic as an example. Many of those operating mobile medical clinics adapted by upgrading their ventilation systems, installing barriers for social distancing and began to focus on testing and vaccinations. These mobile clinic operators kept in business by taking patients by appointment only and allowing a maximum of one or two patients and limited staff onboard at any given time.
Conclusion
Mobilizing health care is obvious, simple, and extremely underutilized. It is about leaving the building and getting as close as possible to people’s homes to provide services they would otherwise not have access to, such as:
In most cases, mobile health care identifies early stages of health issues, saving the lives of people that would otherwise go unnoticed. Even from the outside looking in, it is sometimes difficult to understand why more institutions are not implementing mobile health care clinics. When done properly, it is a highly profitable business unit, serves as a roaming billboard for your institution or clinic, helps to increase your market share and most importantly reaches the underserved with critical healthcare.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mobile Healthcare Program Planning
How do mobile health clinics maintain consistent quality of care?
Quality starts with a well-built unit, dependable equipment and knowledgeable staff. Healthcare professionals also need to be prepared to work effectively within the unique space and environment of a mobile clinic.
How does LifeLine Mobile ensure the quality and reliability of its mobile medical units?
LifeLine Mobile focuses on rugged construction, durable chassis and long-term usability. Some LifeLine units have remained on the road for more than 30 years, with updates and refurbishments helping extend their useful life.
What are the benefits of choosing a mobile health clinic over a traditional facility?
One of the primary benefits is the ability to bring healthcare directly to patients where they live and work. This can help reach people who may otherwise have difficulty accessing the care they need.
How are mobile healthcare programs received by the communities they serve?
LifeLine Mobile has seen positive responses to mobile healthcare programs in the communities they serve. Customer experiences and examples can also be found in LifeLine Mobile’s Planning Guide and testimonials.
Additional Sources Include:
Click the button below for your free Mobile Health Clinic planning guide and for more information on how your organization can get off to the right start with a mobile clinic: