How to Use Your Bloodmobile Clinic for Multiple Events

Bloodmobiles offer a valuable service to the local community. These mobile medical units make it possible for blood banks, hospitals, and other clinics to accept blood donations in numerous locations.

But when a community invests in a bloodmobile, they are investing in more than just a mobile blood bank. These medical units can be designed to offer a variety of uses to help meet the specific needs of any given community.

If your clinic is considering investing in a bloodmobile, check out the following ways you can put this mobile clinic to use for multiple events.

Start with a Flexible Design

Many bloodmobile clinics are designed for one purpose and one purpose only — to collect blood from donors. While this is the primary purpose of any bloodmobile, it doesn’t have to be the only way the unit is used.

Instead, when a bloodmobile is designed upfront to be useful for other mobile medical events, it can become a huge asset for any medical clinic.

The key is to start with a flexible design. By choosing a flexible style of bloodmobile clinic, you have the chance to build in extras that will allow for more versatility in the use of the clinic.

Before choosing a layout, however, make sure to vet a company that has experience designing and building an array of mobile medical units. A company that has built designs ranging from mobile imaging labs to primary care units can help you think through the best use of each space in the bloodmobile. This can help ensure that your unit is as versatile as possible.

Upfit with Additional Medical Equipment

A standard bloodmobile will be designed with the equipment necessary to draw and store blood. This equipment can also be used for other medical purposes, but with this equipment alone, the use of the space is relatively limited.

When choosing a bloodmobile clinic, consider adding in additional medical equipment up front. Building this in during the original manufacturing of the unit makes it easier to accommodate large equipment at any time.

When deciding on what additional medical equipment to include, look for the greatest needs in your community. Does your clinic see a constant shortage of imaging equipment in underserved communities? Have you seen an uptick in demand for flu and COVID testing and vaccination centers?

Prioritize what is needed most and look for a layout that will allow you to add this equipment in right away.

Implement Extra Storage Space

In many cases, utilizing a bloodmobile clinic for multiple types of events will require bringing along extra supplies. This can necessitate a large amount of storage space to ensure that medical supplies remain organized and sterile. In some cases, this will also require transporting items at specific temperatures.

When choosing your bloodmobile clinic, make sure that you account for these extra storage needs. It can be worthwhile to invest in a larger build to ensure that you have ample room for items that might not be needed for blood donations but will be necessary for other health services.

Partner with Local Health Clinics

Once you have chosen a multi-use bloodmobile clinic design, it is time to put the mobile medical unit to work. If your clinic specializes in blood donations, it can be helpful to partner with other local health organizations and clinics to amplify how your clinic is used.

In many cases, you can share the costs of the vehicle with other clinics when the unit is designed for multiple uses. This is a win for everyone involved as it allows for multiple smaller clinics to access a mobile medical unit that they might not be able to afford on their own.

Work with Your Team to Think Outside of the Box

There are many options for using a versatile bloodmobile clinic. In many cases, your medical team will have a list of ideas for the unit’s use. Ideas might include:

• Educational events where your team helps promote healthcare information throughout the community.
• Kid-focused events where you work with schools to teach children about important medical information.
• Pop-up vaccination clinics targeting underserved communities.
• Testing clinics during peak flu season and local COVID outbreaks.

Find a Multi-Use Mobile Medical Unit with Summit Bodyworks

A bloodmobile can be a wonderful addition to hospitals, clinics, and blood banks. Beyond just their ability to serve as a mobile blood donation center, these mobile medical units can be designed for numerous uses. At Summit Bodyworks, we work with medical teams to design multi-use bloodmobiles with the best in technology and design.

Want to see our work in action? Check out our recent community blood bank build. Designed on a 38-foot Freightliner chassis and Winnebego commercial shell, this powerful bloodmobile is equipped with a Cummins ISB 340 HP engine and 6-Speed Allison automatic transmission. Adding to the comfort and safety of this ride are air ride suspension and air brakes. The build’s interior is equipped with multiple diesel generators, roof-mounted air conditioners, a ducted diesel heating system, laminate cabinetry and storage, and durable vinyl flooring.

Donor beds with drawer storage and interview rooms with pocket doors help contribute to the unit’s versatility. In addition, the large build features a separated waiting area with bench seating and a galley area with blood-refrigeration and built-in storage.

If your medical clinic is considering the addition of a bloodmobile clinic, talk to our team about how you can choose the right space to be versatile for your community. We look forward to assisting you in your next mobile medical purchase.

Established in Colorado, Summit Bodyworks is on the forefront of innovation and customer service for vehicle manufacturing and upfitting. Whether you’re looking for all-electric, hybrid, or gas-powered options, Summit Bodyworks is your one-stop-shop for design, manufacturing, and upfitting of trucks, vans, specialty vehicles, and fleets.