In order to maximize our ability to provide personalized health care delivery, the Institute for Population and Precision Health has multiple mobile medical units that are being deployed to communities throughout the Chicago area. Using these mobile medical units, IPPH staff and clinicians are able to recruit research participants and collect and process clinical data and biological samples from vulnerable and disadvantaged neighborhoods that have historically been underrepresented in research. Over time, this will improve our capacity to gain new knowledge and provide earlier and better diagnoses, as well as improve patient care.

Each mobile medical unit is equipped with a CLIA certified lab, sample processing and storage equipment, fully-equipped exam rooms with phlebotomy capabilities, and a bathroom. The mobile medical units are wrapped in distinctive University of Chicago IPPH livery, fostering a strong visible presence in the neighborhoods they serve. A diverse team of trained field interviewers, phlebotomists, and research assistants staff the mobile medical units in order to recruit participants, collect data, and engage in longitudinal follow-up for multiple IPPH initiatives.