Bringing Care Where It’s Needed: Seward Community Health Center’s Mobile Clinic

When summer arrives in Seward, Alaska, so do thousands of visitors — and with them, a surge in demand for medical care. To manage that increase without overwhelming its primary care clinic, Seward Community Health Center deployed its first mobile medical clinic in the summer of 2025.

Between June and August, Chief Executive Officer Jilian Chapman said the clinic sees approximately 25 percent of its annual patient volume — about 500 additional patients — in just three months. Many are tourists, seasonal workers, or cruise ship crew members seeking care for acute needs such as respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, medication refills, and minor injuries.

Prior to the launch of the mobile medical clinic, the demand flowed directly into the clinic, placing added strain on providers while they continued caring for local patients.

“The clinic was essentially becoming an urgent care every summer,” Chapman said, “At the same time, we were still trying to maintain all of our empaneled patients for preventive care.”

To address the challenges of rural healthcare, SCHC operated the mobile clinic on days when cruise ships were in port, positioning itself along Seward’s summer shuttle route. The unit was staffed by a dedicated team consisting of a nurse practitioner, a medical assistant, and registration staff.

The mobile clinic was set up in the parking lot next to the local grocery store pharmacy, making it easier for patients to fill prescriptions and continue with their day.

Chapman said that diverting acute care off-site allowed providers in the main clinic to stay focused on preventive and long-term care, helping relieve some of the pressure on the team.

Improving Access for Visitors and Locals

For patients, the mobile clinic offers convenience and affordability. Chapman explained that cruise ship medical care can be costly and it’s not always covered by insurance, while SCHC accepts most insurance plans and offers a sliding fee scale.

“If they can wait for care and if they know there’s an option on shore that’s more affordable, they may choose to wait and go to the clinic where they have coverage,” Chapman said.

One patient traveling on a cruise ship last summer shared their appreciation for being able to receive care while recovering from COVID without navigating crowded indoor spaces — an option that helped limit potential exposure to others.

Protecting Clinic Capacity

Beyond easing day-to-day workflow, the mobile clinic has helped protect the health center’s ability to serve its year-round patients.
Chapman explained that one-time visitors seen for acute needs are counted in federal quality reporting, even when preventive screenings are not necessary during a brief visit.

“The fact that these people we only see one time for an acute need, we still get dinged if we don’t have their colorectal cancer screening results in the record,” she said. “We take the hit on quality improvement efforts, but with the mobile clinic, we can filter those visits out to evaluate how we’re doing with the patients who live here and rely on us year-round.”

A Seasonal Tool with Long-Term Potential

During the winter months, the mobile clinic is stored off-site and remains largely out of service due to cold temperatures and the lack of a heated on-site storage facility. While plans to construct a garage were explored, rising construction costs made the project infeasible for now.

Even so, Chapman sees long-term potential for the unit beyond its current seasonal role.

“If we can solve the storage and readiness challenges, this could be a year-round tool,” Chapman said. “It could support outreach to schools, employers, vaccination clinics, or communities like Moose Pass, where patients currently have to travel long distances to reach us.”

Keeping Community at the Center

As a popular tourist destination, Chapman emphasized that the clinic’s focus remains on the people who call the community home year-round.

“There is no community without the people who are here year-round,” she said. “They’re the backbone on which the entire economy is built.”

The mobile clinic is expected to return in summer 2026. Follow Seward Community Health Center on Facebook for updates and schedule announcements.

This story was developed in collaboration with Seward Community Health Center. Learn more about SCHC and its services here.