KYM JOHNSON,a licensed practical nurse, tests Howard Judy's blood sugar levels earlier this week inside the Health Care-a-Van, operated by the Polk HealthCare Plan.

HAINES CITY | Ramiro "Sam" Hernandez spends his work week in a large, air-conditioned mobile unit, making scheduled visits to parking lots across Polk County.

He staffs the Health Care-a-Van, which provides community outreach for the Polk HealthCare Plan the county's sales-tax-funded plan that provides health care coverage for Polk's uninsured and low-income residents.

The mobile unit is an often overlooked accompaniment to Polk HealthCare Plan's offices and clinics, but at the van uninsured people can learn if they qualify for the plan, renew their membership and get basic health checks.

Some members of the plan mistake the unit for a large billboard-type advertisement and don't realize it's staffed, Hernandez said.

Licensed practical nurse Kym Johnson accompanies Hernandez twice a week on his forays into neighborhoods.

Hernandez said they see fewer minority applicants than they expect in some locations with large minority populations, but that may stem from transportation problems many low-income residents face.

The plan, closed for a while to new members, has space for about 300 more patients, as of Sept. 10, Hernandez said. When the membership roles fill up again, people still can apply and be placed on a waiting list.

On some days, only a handful of people visit the van but other days, particularly on Wednesdays in Poinciana, the van is swamped with people seeking free checks of their cholesterol, blood sugar level and blood pressure. That's where Hernandez and Johnson get a heavier concentration of Hispanic residents.

Increasing the plan's enrollment in East Polk and among Hispanics is a goal set by the Citizens Oversight Committee, a volunteer group that oversees the plans.

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Care-a-Van Brings Services to Low-Income and Uninsured Residents