Orange County women facing unplanned pregnancies will soon have access to free diagnostic care, counseling and an array of support services no matter where they live, thanks to a new mobile health clinic that’s being rolled out soon with the support of several community groups.
Save the Storks, a national pro-life nonprofit, is working with Horizon Pregnancy Clinic, Mariners Church and the Orange County Rescue Mission to launch the outreach initiative as part of its For Every Woman project.
The For Every Woman Mobile Medical Clinic, which cost $380,000 to build, made its debut during a ribbon-cutting event Friday, May 17, at the rescue mission’s Village of Hope campus in Tustin.
The vehicle is the first of its kind in the country, organizers say, because it provides an exam room where women can receive medical care, and an adjacent counseling room where women can receive information on pregnancy options and connect with groups that can help them with eight family-related issues – from housing to child care – if they choose to give birth.
“We found that many times when a woman is at that moment of decision, if she does choose to carry her baby to term, or whether she chooses abortion, she needs someone else to walk along that journey with her,” said Diane Ferraro, chief executive officer of Save the Storks. “It was so critical that we have not only the counseling, but really the wrap-around services, to make sure that someone is with her every step of the way.”
Save the Storks runs 102 mobile maternal healthcare clinics in 34 states, Ferraro said. The Orange County project has been in the works for more than two years, she added.
Women will soon be able to make appointments for a pregnancy test, an STD test, or an ultrasound at the mobile clinic through foreverywoman.org, organizers said. Onsite, they’ll be medically assessed by healthcare professionals.
If a woman discovers that she’s pregnant, she can then speak with on-site licensed therapists and trained counselors about her options going forward.
Women who elect abortion won’t be referred out for services, Ferraro said, but staff will explain the medical procedure to them and invite them back to learn more about counseling and recovery programs.
Women who choose to give birth will be connected to programs in the community – including those offered by the rescue mission – that are a good fit for them, Ferraro said.
“We are there with her every step of the way no matter what choice she makes,” she said.
Coalition members are supporting the mobile clinic in various ways, said Bryan Crain, rescue mission president.
Staff from Horizon Pregnancy Clinic in Huntington Beach will provide medical services, including ultrasounds, STD testing and counseling, he said.
Mariners Church is providing 50 volunteer doctors, nurses and other health professionals.
Save the Storks played a key role in building the clinic, and is helping with training, strategic planning, scheduling, website management and more, said Ferraro.
And if a woman decides to give birth, she and her family can tap into the Tustin-based rescue mission’s robust programming to get help with education, legal issues, medical care, parenting classes and more, said Crain.
“It is my hope that every woman who steps in that clinic knows that she is not alone,” he told those gathered for Friday’s ribbon cutting. “That if she needs to, there’s a place for her here at the Village of Hope …and that she can come into a community of people who are going to love her and care for her and care for her kids.”
While the clinic’s schedule is still being finalized, it is expected to stop in Orange, Santa Ana and at the rescue mission to start, said Ferraro.
Locations could include churches, businesses, college campuses and parking lots adjacent to medical facilities, she said.
Organizers plan for the mobile clinic to be on the road eight hours a day, five to six days a week, said Ferraro, and hope to serve 2,500 to 3,500 women in the first year.
The rescue mission will serve as the vehicle’s homebase, said Crain.
The mobile clinic aims to serve those who may otherwise have difficulty reaching a medical facility, organizers said, especially those who don’t have access to a car or public transportation.
“The idea is that if it’s in their neighborhood, it’s a lot easier for a young woman in crisis to get there,” Crain said.
Although the clinic launch date is still being finalized, it is expected to be up and running soon, organizers said. They hope to eventually expand service to Anaheim and other neighboring cities, and south Orange County.
“In the long run, we want people to think of foreverywoman.org when they face a situation like this,” Crain said. “We want it to be on everybody’s radar.”
