Denver Health Mobile Medical Units

For Denver Health, expanding access to care meant taking the clinic on the road. Summit Bodyworks helped make that possible with two custom mobile medical units, each built for a different stage of the organization’s growing mobile healthcare program.

The first was a 26-foot fiberglass medical unit designed to support a range of clinical services. Denver Health later returned for a second build, a compact 20-foot aluminum primary care unit with accessible features and a non-CDL design.

Together, the vehicles give Denver Health more flexibility to bring care directly into the communities that need it.

Bringing Healthcare Into the Community

Transportation, insurance, and other barriers can make it difficult for some Denver residents to receive medical care. Denver Health wanted a mobile clinic that could bring its team and services closer to patients in underserved neighborhoods.

Meet patients where they are

Take a closer look at the treatment spaces, equipment needs, and patient experience that shape a mobile health clinic.

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The vehicle needed to function as an extension of a healthcare facility, giving medical professionals a safe, practical place to work while letting Denver Health respond to changing community needs.

That flexibility became especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Denver Health had been conducting tests from stationary drive-up kiosks as colder weather approached. A mobile medical unit would provide warmth, shelter, clinical space, and a place for nurses and medical assistants to take breaks during testing operations.

A 26-Foot Fiberglass Medical Unit

The first Denver Health vehicle was a 26-foot mobile medical unit built on a Freightliner M2 chassis. It was also the first vehicle released in the Summit Bodyworks Peak body series.

Instead of a traditional aluminum body, we built the unit with fiberglass. The material provided a lightweight structure along with corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, and thermal insulation. Its lighter weight also helped support the vehicle’s fuel and energy efficiency.

Inside, the mobile clinic included:

• Three separate rooms

• Two examination beds

• A blood-draw chair

• Refrigeration units

• Clinical storage

• Space for medical staff

The layout let Denver Health use the vehicle for primary care and other health services while meeting immediate demand for mobile COVID-19 testing.

The unit gave the medical team a controlled indoor environment that could travel directly to the communities it served. It also allowed Denver Health to move beyond fixed testing kiosks and adjust its location based on demand.

Expanding the Fleet With a Second Unit

Denver Health later returned to Summit Bodyworks for a second primary care vehicle. This unit features a 20-foot aluminum body on a Freightliner M2 chassis.

The vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,000 pounds and does not require a commercial driver’s license. This gives Denver Health more flexibility when assigning drivers and deploying the unit throughout the community.

The second vehicle includes:

• One medical examination room

• A phlebotomy chair

• A lavatory with a toilet

• A stainless-steel sink

• A specimen pass-through

• A Braun UVL 8500 Series wheelchair lift

• A 20-foot electric curbside awning

Each feature supports a different part of the patient and staff experience. The examination room and phlebotomy chair create dedicated clinical work areas, while the lavatory and specimen pass-through support testing and sample collection.

The wheelchair lift helps make the vehicle accessible to patients with mobility limitations. Outside, the electric awning creates a covered area for check-in, waiting, community events, or outdoor services.

Two Vehicles Built for Different Needs

While both vehicles support mobile healthcare, each has its own configuration and role.

The 26-foot fiberglass unit provides more interior space and was designed to accommodate several types of clinical services. The 20-foot aluminum unit offers a smaller, non-CDL platform with an exam room, accessible entry, phlebotomy area, and supporting clinical systems.

Instead of repeating the same design, we approached each vehicle around Denver Health’s needs at that point in its mobile healthcare program. The second unit added another configuration that could support different services, locations, and operating conditions.

Supporting Mobile Care in Denver

Mobile medical vehicles help healthcare providers meet patients closer to where they live, work, and gather. For Denver Health, these two units provide flexible clinical spaces that can travel throughout the community and respond to changing healthcare needs.

From the first fiberglass Peak body unit to the smaller aluminum primary care vehicle, Denver Health designed both builds around how it planned to deliver care in the field.