During three hours in a private parking lot, Desert Physicians Medical Group (DPMG) staff met with 11 adults seeking medical attention. They were among more than 60 unhoused individuals with long-term accommodations at the center as they engaged with various support services on a path to stability.
Connie Stewart, who has experienced homelessness since moving from North Carolina to the Coachella Valley in July, appreciated the opportunity to speak with a provider about her impaired left knee. She said using the public bus system with her physical challenge has been difficult, preventing her from finding and meeting with a doctor on her own.
Victoria Scuro arrived at the Palm Springs Navigation Center on Dec. 5 with two cats in tow. She said it was the only facility that would accept her with her pets. Unable to work due to a disability, Scuro added that the mobile clinic visit was a welcome resource at the center as she awaits her Social Security benefits.
Travis Rogers, who had accessed the mobile clinic in the past at a church in Palm Springs, appreciated having it parked fewer than 800 feet from the center lodgings. “It’s much easier and private,” he said.
The mobile clinic will be parked at the Navigation Center on the first Wednesday of each month, delivering primary care, mental healthcare and pharmacology as needed, said Alejandro Espinoza, chief of community engagement with the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation. “The center fulfills one of the essential social determinants of health, which is shelter,” he added. “That gives our team a great foundation to build upon and address other healthcare needs their clients are facing.”
In 2022, the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation launched its first mobile clinic, then brought on a second mobile clinic a year later to add medications and a behavioral health component. Both clinics were purchased with grant support from the Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District. They regularly cross the valley to deliver services to traditionally underserved residents.
“In the past three years, the mobile clinics have become an integral part of how we improve access to healthcare,” District & Foundation CEO Chris Christensen said. “They enable us to remove the barriers to care for vulnerable communities in need, such as a lack of reliable transportation and affordability. Expanding the program to include the Palm Springs Navigation Center as a monthly destination takes this outreach to the next level.”
Opened in 2024 along McCarthy Road in northern Palm Springs, the Navigation Center is staffed by Martha’s Village and Kitchen. In addition to families and individuals with long-term accommodations, it also serves 50 to 55 people seeking shelter overnight.
