Linking mobile, under-resourced families to continuous medical care
Health Network: Bringing the most vulnerable to care
This project builds a community referral and patient navigation network to help mobile, under-resourced patients — including children and pregnant people — keep getting medical care when they move.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Migrant Clinicians Network, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11491313 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We will partner with local clinics, community groups, and public and private organizations to build a Community-Based Referral Network and navigator-led support. If you move between regions, a patient navigator can help transfer records, connect you to nearby clinics, and assist with medications, prenatal care, or chronic disease follow-up. The team will collect information about care continuity and health outcomes to improve and sustain the network over time. Local patients and partners will help shape how the referral and navigation services work so they meet community needs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are mobile, under-resourced individuals and families — including children, people in the third trimester of pregnancy, and people with chronic illnesses — who move across regions and need help connecting with local care.
Not a fit: People who already have stable local care, who are not part of participating clinics or community partners, or who choose not to use navigator services may not receive benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce gaps in treatment, prevent avoidable emergencies, and keep medications and prenatal care continuous for mobile patients.
How similar studies have performed: Patient navigation and referral programs have improved care continuity in other settings, but a coordinated, cross-regional network focused on highly mobile, under-resourced patients is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Austin, United States
- Migrant Clinicians Network, INC. — Austin, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lopez-Correa, Anibal Yariel — Migrant Clinicians Network, INC.
- Study coordinator: Lopez-Correa, Anibal Yariel
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.