For many of those in need of care for infectious diseases or substance use, medical services can be hard to access. But the Drexel HOPE (Health, Outreach, Partnership, Empowerment) mobile clinic meets patients where they are, giving free testing and treatment on the streets of Philadelphia.

The impacts of the mobile medical clinic are profound, said Tanajsia Mason, the clinic’s program manager. The program, which began in 2019 from the Drexel University College of Medicine and Drexel Partnership Comprehensive Care Practice, provides free testing and treatment for infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted infections. It also offers care for people with opioid and stimulant use disorders.

Mason has seen firsthand how Drexel HOPE can affect patients. She recalled one hepatitis patient who, after the clinic switched locations, recognized the clinic’s driver, Ralph Dixon, while at a mall. Dixon told the patient where their next location would be, and the patient showed up.

“We got him started on meds. He was like maybe four or five weeks in, and then he just dropped off,” Mason said. “It was very cold during that time, and he was street homeless, so we knew he was probably being resourceful and found somewhere warm to stay.”

One of Drexel HOPE’s peer recovery specialists and a nurse found him at an inpatient program. They gave him his medication, but again, the patient disappeared. Ultimately, though, he found Drexel HOPE again.

“He just recently stopped by our van in Germantown, and we were able to confirm that he is cured of hepatitis C,” Mason said. “It’s stories like that that keep me so grounded in this work, because we know it is so important and such a low threshold of care to make sure that folks know about their statuses and that we can treat and potentially cure them of what’s going on.”

Peer recovery specialists reach out to the community to let people know about the program, but many patients also find the clinic as they walk down the street. Some might be experiencing homelessness or living with a family member, while others might be stably housed. Many have Medicaid or other state-based insurance, but those without insurance can also access the clinic.

To identify the locations where they can have the most impact, Drexel HOPE obtains fatal overdose and hepatitis C data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

“We overlay those data to get specific zip codes and census tracts to identify the hardest hit areas for those conditions to see where we’re most needed in Philadelphia,” Mason said. “We also pair that with the outreach that our peer recovery specialist does.”

Currently, Drexel HOPE operates out of a truck rented from Penn Medicine, and stops outside Vernon Park in Germantown on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They also stop at 6th and Snyder streets in South Philadelphia on Tuesdays, but plan to change that location soon.

In addition to Mason and the peer recovery specialist, the Drexel HOPE team includes a program director, two physicians, a physician assistant, a registered nurse and viral hepatitis coordinator, a behavioral health consultant and social worker, and Dixon, the mobile clinic driver. They are currently looking to hire another peer recovery specialist. Drexel medical students also rotate in during the school year.

“It’s really gratifying to be here and be working with such a dedicated team,” Mason said.

The mobile clinic primarily serves as a link to help patients ultimately get long-term, stable care. “Folks can come to us on a weekly basis, or whatever frequency they need to, before they can get connected to a brick-and-mortar location. We’re trying to get folks from point A to point B,” Mason said.

Education is another major part of Drexel HOPE’s work. Outside the truck is a table with flyers, infographics and harm reduction tools, including Narcan, which helps reduce overdoses, and drug testing strips. Many people seeking care do not know exactly what substances are present in the drugs they are using, said Mason, and the testing strips can reveal what substances might be mixed in. “Patient education is always primary to what we provide,” she said.

Community feedback has been mostly positive. “I’ve heard from either passersby or folks who actually come in to seek our services that [we] need to be here to make sure that folks get the care that they need,” Mason said.

Mason notes that such positive feedback is not always a given.

“It can sometimes be harder in other areas because not many folks want what they perceive to be drug activity in the area. That hasn’t been my experience, but I know other mobile programs have experienced this,” she said. “But these programs have saved so many lives. We’re just trying to do the same.”