Celebrating 50 years of service: Arizona’s longest-running mobile health program marks a milestone
The U of A Mobile Health Program is celebrating 50 years of service to medically underserved patients in southern Arizona.
Mobile Health Program team members pose in front of mobile clinic
For 50 years, the University of Arizona Mobile Health Program (MHP) has been transforming lives, one patient at a time.
“The MHP is celebrating a remarkable legacy of service across southern Arizona, with a strong history of community partnership and commitment to continued service,” said Nicole Person-Rennell, MD, MPH, FAAFP, associate professor and medical director of the MHP.
The Mobile Health Program exists to improve the health of medically underserved populations through free family medicine/primary care and prenatal services. By partnering with local organizations and community members, the MHP delivers care in ways that are responsive to those who need it most.
Dr. Augusto Ortiz and his wife, Martha
The MHP was established by Augusto Ortiz, MD, and his wife Martha. They had a deep desire to provide clinical services to underserved populations in Tucson and its surrounding communities.
In 1972, Dr. Ortiz joined the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson, and in 1976, he and Martha founded the Mobile Health Program at the U of A Office of Rural Health. The program began by providing free primary care services using a converted school bus at the Pascua Yaqui village in west Tucson.
The original mobile health clinic, 1984
Photo credit: Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health Center for Rural Health
From that first mobile unit, the program continued to grow. In 1982, the MHP sponsored the first permanent clinic in Continental, Arizona. In 1985, the program acquired a new mobile unit, enabling it to expand across Pima County. By 1990, the MHP had mobile clinic services in Littletown, Vail, Arivaca, Three Points, Amado and Picture Rocks. In 1993, the Community Health Worker (Adviser) Program was launched.
In 2000, the MHP moved to the Department of Family and Community Medicine, where it has continued to grow and expand to help medically underserved patients. As of March 2026, the program has provided health care services to more than 60,000 patients.
Although Dr. Ortiz passed away at the age of 89 in 2006, and Martha recently turned 102, their vision lives on. Now, their children — Judy, Carl and Quintin Ortiz — are continuing their parents’ legacy.
On March 14, Judy and Carl attended the MHP’s mobile clinic exhibit at Science City during the Tucson Festival of Books. While there, they reminisced on their parents’ dedication to helping others and their impact on southern Arizona.
Ortiz siblings, Carl and Judy
“A theme my parents had over the years was ‘serving the underserved,’ and we would hear that theme many times while growing up,” Judy recalled. “It was a real partnership between them, and they constantly sought community input.”
“One thing I remember is that my parents always worked together,” Carl said. “It was a collaboration with them. My mom was the community organizer. She would educate and recruit others to help.”
Today, the Mobile Health Program has grown into a fully licensed, full-service clinic — bringing comprehensive, compassionate family medicine directly to communities across southern Arizona. With a mission rooted in access, the program delivers no-cost care to underserved individuals at every stage of life, including:
- Primary and preventive care to keep individuals and families healthy
- Well-woman exams and gynecological services
- Comprehensive prenatal care supporting healthy pregnancies
- Reproductive health services
- School and sports physicals for children
- Ongoing management of chronic conditions
- Minor in-clinic procedures
- Medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder
50 years of impact
Over five decades, the Mobile Health Program has achieved extraordinary milestones, such as:
- 150,000 patient visits
- 60,000 individuals served
- 50,000 COVID-19 vaccines administered
- 435 babies delivered
- 50 community partnerships formed
- 2,300 U of A family medicine residents trained
- Provided clinic volunteer hours to 150+ U of A undergraduates
- 75 community health workers trained and employed
From expanding mobile clinic services across Pima County in the 1980s and ’90s, to launching prenatal care services in 2003, oral health screenings and COVID-19 vaccination efforts across multiple counties, the MHP has continually evolved to meet emerging needs.
Growing with the community
Here are a few key milestones that highlight the MHP’s growth and adaptability over the past 50 years:
- From a single bus in 1976 to multiple community sites across southern Arizona
- The launch of the Community Health Worker Program in 1993
- Prenatal care services begin in 2003
- Opening the Ortiz Community Health Center in Picture Rocks in 2004
- Expanding services to schools, nonprofits and other community facilities
- Partnering with the March of Dimes for a new clinic on wheels in 2016
- Responding during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Launching a health screening program in 2022 at a local public housing program
- Partnerships have been recently established with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, SAAF, Sunnyside Unified School District, and several invested community centers and church programs
Each step reflects a deep commitment to providing care to medically underserved individuals throughout the community.
Mobile Health Program student workers
The role of community support
The MHP’s work is made possible through private donations, grants and the Ortiz Endowment. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps provide essential health care to those in need.
As the program celebrates 50 years, it also looks ahead to the future, with its commitment to grow and serve. With your support, we can ensure the next 50 years are just as impactful.
You can donate to the Mobile Health Program here, and to the Ortiz Endowment here.