What are Mobile Medical Units?

By Shawn Liu, National Homeless Program Manager

July 20, 2023

Veterans experiencing homelessness face various barriers to accessing proper health care, including a lack of transportation. To increase care for Veterans experiencing homelessness or those at risk of experiencing homelessness by meeting them where they are, VA is employing Mobile Medical Units, or MMUs.

MMUs are vans or trucks that move from one location to another that can provide primary care, women’s health, audiology, laboratory, and telehealth services for Veterans who may not have access to a local VA medical center. They provide a private space for medical and mental health clinicians, social workers, and other staff to meet with Veterans to ensure they receive the care they need and deserve.

Once deployed, homeless Veterans will not have to visit VA hospitals for many health care and support services such as health assessments and education, preventive care, mental health services, referrals to VA homeless programs, and other resources.

MMUs are being rolled out at 25 VA medical centers nationwide, with the first being set to arrive in August 2023.