Medical Student Research Forum Posters

The Central Valley is home to nearly 6.5 million people, and it is the most underserved patient population in California. The need for core services such as comprehensive healthcare is higher than ever, given that twenty-five percent live in poverty, and over fifty percent are Medicaid or uninsured. Currently, there are 133 active physicians per 100,000 people in the Central Valley in comparison with the California state rate of 222 active physicians per 100,000 people. Within the next ten years, California is expected to have a shortfall of up to 4,100 primary-care clinicians.

There are approximately 2000 mobile clinics nationwide assisting 6,000,000 people annually. In addition, mobile clinics are viewed as serving those with a barrier to health care. Nationwide, fifty-three percent of low-income adults don’t trust the health care system, twenty-five percent lack transportation, twenty percent go without care due to inability to pay, and eleven percent are uninsured.