Pregnancy center launches services on wheels

Alpha Pregnancy Help Center in Merced is expanding the reach of its services with a new mobile office.

The center provides confidential services, including pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, peer counseling, parenting classes and post-abortion support, at its office at 700 Loughborough Drive. Now on wheels, the center will be able to take some of those services to outlying areas in Merced County.

Carrie Alexander, the center’s executive director, said the mobile unit will begin regular services in Los Banos and Winton in mid-March. Although an exact date has not yet been established, staff also plan on taking the unit to Atwater and Planada.

The goal, Alexander explained, is to promote good prenatal care and optimal health outcomes for mothers and their newborns in rural areas where needed services are not as accessible. Currently, the clinic averages about 300 client visits per month, but staff members believe there are many more people who need services who are not making it to their office.

“A lot of our clients in these (rural) areas can’t make it to the center because of transportation. ... A few years ago we started sensing that need,” Alexander said.

The new bus, she added, is the first to be licensed in California forservices related to pregnancy. The bus is a lot smaller than most mobile medical units, she said, but it’s more economical.

“This is like a condensed version (of the clinic); the most necessary (equipment) is in here,” Alexander said. “We had the idea to go mobile a few years ago, and then we started researching our options. This bus was available and we thought it suited our needs.”

The mobile facility includes an ultrasound machine, a bed, video monitors, adjustable seating and a restroom. Nurse manager Michelle Earling, who will be in charge of the mobile unit, said changes to the inside design are still possible, but for now only the most essential equipment is on board.

The bus was purchased with funding from various organizations. Most recently, the center received a $15,000 grant from Dignity Health Foundation, which will be used for the unit’s operational costs, Alexander said.

Once the wheels start rolling, services will be available at the following locations:

▪ Oasis Community Center, 1005 I St. in Los Banos

▪ Lifeline Community Center, 7081 N. Winton Way in Winton

▪ 2100 Fruitland Ave. in Atwater

▪ Planada Community Church, 9182 E. Stanford Ave. in Planada

For more information on Alpha Pregnancy Help Center’s mobile services, call (209) 383-4700.

This story was originally published March 2, 2015 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Pregnancy center launches services on wheels."