County Deploys Mobile Health Office for COVID-19 Response

San Diego County, Calif., has deployed its Live Well Mobile Office to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mobile office is equipped to offer a variety of resources, but its kickoff project will be to serve as a medical and public health command center to respond to the pandemic.

Fleet management worked with Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA) as subject-matter experts for the chassis and powertrain. Fleet staff conducted a virtual inspection of the vehicle and a physical walk-through once delivered, and was involved with operations training, according to John Manring, fleet manager.

The chassis was built by Winnebago/Freightliner and is powered by a front-mounted Freightliner engine with an Allison automatic transmission. Interior features consist of six isolated work stations for doctors and nurses, with one wheelchair lift, Manring said. There are six dedicated phones for the doctors to use as well as six laptop stations with WiFi and internet capability. There is a restroom, a medical refrigerator, and a food service refrigerator. A large-screen TV is mounted on the outside to help with providing public service messages to those outside of the unit, Manring said.

It will be placed on a routine fleet service schedule and will be maintained by fleet staff.

"This was a major build that was built from the vision of HHSA as they identified the need to bring health services out to those who cannot get around and or themselves to local clinics. The timing of this build just happened to coincide with the COVID 19 outbreak, so we placed it into service the same week it arrived,” Manring said.

In the future, the county will deploy the Live Well Mobile Office throughout the community so residents can get multiple health and community services. It will also be available by request to attend community events. The mobile office includes capability for disaster response, public assistance, veterans’ programs, public health, behavioral health, housing, aging and independence, and homeless services.