Mobile medical clinics bring health care directly to homeless veterans in 25 cities

More than 35,000 veterans in America are homeless — and health care is not always their top priority. 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aims to bridge that gap by bringing medical care to homeless vets.

"The mobile medical unit is a physical truck or van that goes out into the community setting and brings … health care services, those wraparound resources, directly to veterans in the community setting to reduce the barrier of transportation, which is a very significant barrier for this population," Dr. Jillian Weber, national program manager for Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams in Nevada, told Fox News.

AMERICA'S WAR HEROES BURIED OVERSEAS REMAIN DEFENDERS OF LIBERTY: THEY ‘CONTINUE TO SERVE’

Morgan Spicer, who served in the Air Force before retiring in 1990, is currently staying at the Salvation Army shelter in Las Vegas. 

When he needs to get a checkup at the clinic, Spicer said it's typically been a day-long affair.

"If you have an appointment at the hospital, you have to take the Salvation Army bus up there, you have to go at 7:30 am, and then you either have to take a civilian bus back or wait until 1 in the afternoon until he picks you up," Spicer told Fox News.

But now, the VA's mobile medical team brings the clinic directly to its patients.

"I just had to walk out the front door," Spicer said.

Elizabeth Jarman, a coordinator for VA Southern Nevada Health Care, told Fox News how the initiative works.

"We go out to one of our community shelters or our transitional housing sites, and we are usually there from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.," she said.

"We're able to see veterans all day long, and then drive [the bus] back to the hospital. So, veterans are able to access primary care on it."

Jarman added, "It's everything that you would do in a regular primary care clinic. It's literally a clinic on wheels."

VIETNAM VETERAN REUNITES WITH LOST DOG TAG AFTER 56 YEARS: ‘I DIDN’T BELIEVE IT'

The portable clinics are available in 25 cities across the nation, including Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago and Seattle.

"We know from evidence that veterans experiencing homelessness have unmet health care needs, and they face numerous barriers and challenges to not only accessing medical services and resources, but also engaging in long-term care," Weber noted.

The mobile units are just one way the VA is trying to fight veteran homelessness — by providing them first with housing and then with health care and other support, according to the team. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX NEWS

To learn more, or to reach out, anyone can check out details at va.gov/homeless/nationalcallcenter/asp.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

Celebrity chef Anne Burrell shares her 'Killer Turkey Burger' recipe for holiday weekend

This Memorial Day weekend and beyond, try a delicious turkey burger recipe courtesy of celebrity chef Anne Burrell.

The chef, Food Network personality and former instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education told Fox News Digital this week, "This recipe was invented out of pure necessity when I was visiting my sister."

She said, "I had just gotten off a plane and dropped my bags at her house when she said, 'We're having turkey burgers for dinner … Can you make them?'"

GUACAMOLE VS. HUMMUS: IS ONE ‘BETTER’ FOR YOU THAN THE OTHER?

Continued Burrell, "I looked in her pantry and just grabbed some stuff. She had a can of water chestnuts hanging out in there, so I decided to put a crunchy little twist on dinner. I added some soy, sautéed onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro to the mix — and voilà! The killer turkey burger was born."

Dig right into this fun recipe for a special weekend meal — or for any occasion with family and friends this summer. 

Makes 4 servings

Prep time: 50 minutes (active prep time: 45 minutes)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for coating the pan

1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice 

Kosher salt 

2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped 

1½ pounds ground turkey 

One 8-ounce can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped (not too fine; they add great texture) 

¼ cup soy sauce, plus more if needed

½ bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves finely chopped 

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated 

2 tablespoons sambal oelek or Asian chili paste, optional (but recommended) 

½ cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons sambal oelek 

4 burger buns (I like the seeded ones!) 

4 slices American or cheddar cheese (American melts better) 

4 slices beefsteak tomatoes 

4 slices red onion 

4 leaves butter lettuce 

SPINACH VS. KALE: WHICH IS 'BETTER' FOR YOU? NUTRITIONISTS SETTLE THE GREAT DEBATE

1. For the turkey burgers: Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and toss in the onion. Season with salt and bring the pan to medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and very aromatic, 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. 

Turn off the heat and let cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, water chestnuts, soy sauce, cilantro, ginger, sambal if using and the cooked onions and garlic. (Note: Save the onion pan to cook the burgers in later!) 

Add ¼ to ½ cup water to the mix — this will keep the burgers really moist! 

Use your hands to squish the mixture until everything is really well combined.

KETCHUP VS. MUSTARD: WHICH IS ‘BETTER’ FOR YOU? EXPERTS CHIME IN ON THE DEBATE

3. Make, cook and eat a little tester patty to be sure the turkey is really delicious. If the seasoning isn't just right, add a little more soy or a sprinkey-dink of salt. 

When you're confident the burger mix is perfectly seasoned, form it into 4 equal patties.

4. With a paper towel, wipe out the sauté pan you used to cook the onion, coat the pan with fresh olive oil and bring it to medium-high heat. Add the burgers, being sure not to crowd the pan — if you need to work in batches, knock yourself out. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Cook the burgers for 5-6 minutes on each side. The burgers should be browned and cooked through when done. 

(If working in batches, keep the first batch warm in the oven at 200 degrees F while cooking the second batch.)

5. For the toppings: Mix together the mayo and sambal oelek in a small bowl. 

Toast the burger buns and top with the burgers. 

Garnish as desired with the cheese, tomato, red onion, lettuce and spicy mayo.

Wrote a commenter online about the burgers, "These really were a delicious new twist on a classic! I made the recipe as written. The water chestnuts really do add fantastic crunch and the burger as a whole has great flavor."

"Killer Turkey Burger" recipe by Anne Burrell. Used by special arrangement.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.

About Us

Virtus (virtue, valor, excellence, courage, character, and worth)

Vincit (conquers, triumphs, and wins)