A doctor’s visit in Opelika this fall may pull up to the curb down the street.
Opelika’s Neighborhood Mobile Wellness Clinic — a bus-based, walk-in clinic run as a joint effort of the Casey Family Foundation, the City of Opelika and East Alabama Health — is making stops in underserved parts of the city on a published schedule through November. No appointment is needed, and the visit is a walk-in.
The clinic offers disease-prevention resources and screening for chronic illness: blood pressure checks, glucose screening and monitoring, information on preventing chronic disease, and referrals to other community resources when a patient needs more help. The bus itself was donated by First Transit; the program is funded by donations.
Where the bus will be
The clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at each stop:
- Friday, Sept. 4 — 1706 Toomer Street
- Thursday, Sept. 10 — 1944 Opelika Road (Old Elks Lodge)
- Thursday, Sept. 17 — 1000 Samford Court
- Friday, Sept. 25 — 2016 Waverly Parkway (Timothy Manor)
- Oct. 2 — 1706 Toomer Street
- Oct. 8 — 1944 Opelika Road (Old Elks Lodge)
- Oct. 15 — 1000 Samford Court
- Oct. 23 — 300 Jeter Street
- Nov. 6 — 1706 Toomer Street
- Nov. 12 — 1944 Opelika Road (Old Elks Lodge)
September dates above are the schedule published by the City of Opelika. Hours and dates can change, so it is worth confirming with East Alabama Health or the city before making the trip.
Why a screening bus matters
The point of a mobile clinic is to catch what would otherwise go unnoticed. East Alabama Health has told the story of Victor Chavez, a 36-year-old Opelika man who stopped by the bus in 2023 because he felt exhausted and his eyesight had gotten worse. His blood sugar read so high it would not register on the device. Sutricia Johnson, who leads the mobile clinic and is director of case management at East Alabama Medical Center, sent him straight to the emergency department at EAMC, where he was admitted with undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes and stayed three days.
Blood pressure and blood sugar are exactly the kind of numbers that give no warning until they do — and both are checked on the bus in a few minutes, free of charge to the walk-in patient.
Source: East Alabama Health, “Opelika’s Neighborhood Mobile Wellness Clinic” and “Access to Mobile Wellness Clinic Helps Save Patient.”
