The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the deployment of 25 mobile medical units across the country to provide healthcare and support to homeless and at-risk veterans. The deployment of the units will occur during the next six months, according to an Aug. 3 news release.

“Veterans experiencing homelessness face a variety of barriers to accessing health care, including a lack of transportation,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “With these new mobile medical units, homeless and at-risk veterans don’t have to visit VA hospitals — we come right to them.”

The mobile medical units, vans or trucks will deliver vital medical services, including mental health care, primary care, and more to eligible veterans in various locations, eliminating transportation barriers, the news release reported.

The first mobile medical unit already arrived at the VA Orlando Healthcare System, according to the release. The schedule for upcoming MMUs can be accessed online. In September, units will visit Oklahoma City, Okla.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Atlanta, Ga.; San Diego, Calif.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Montgomery, Ala.; Salt Lake City, Utah; West Haven, Conn.; and Tacoma, Wash.

The schedule continues with Seattle, Wash.; Hampton, Va.; and Chicago, Ill., in October and Charleston, S.C.; Bay Pines, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Cleveland, Ohio; Omaha, Neb.; and Birmingham, Ala., in November. Nevada will get a visit in December with stops in Reno and Las Vegas. In January 2024, the units go to New Orleans, La., and Tucson, Ariz. The final stop in this initiative is San Francisco, Calif., in February 2024.

Veteran homelessness is a prime concern for the VA, according to the news release. This initiative complements broader investments announced in June by the White House to combat veteran homelessness. The mobile medical units are provided through VA's Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams, which focus on meeting homeless veterans' healthcare needs.