Medicine on the Go: Health 34

In this first installment of our Medicine on the Go series, we explore how care is moving beyond hospital walls and directly into the community through UC Davis Fire Department’s innovative mobile mental health crisis unit, Health 34. You’ll hear how this no-cost, 24/7 team—staffed by providers with paramedic backgrounds and lay counselor training—meets people where they are to prevent crises, support mental health needs, and connect patients to the right resources before problems escalate. Health 34 Provider, Blythe Clark, joins us to share the origins of the program, how it works, who it serves, and what other communities can learn from this model. We’ll explore how prehospital services can act as a powerful preventative tool and how collaborations like this could reshape the future of care far beyond campus.

Do you have a program similar to Health 34 in your area? We’d love to hear how it’s working and what you’ve learned. Share with us on social media @empulsepodcast or connect with us on ucdavisem.com

Hosts:

Dr. Julia Magaña, Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Guest:

Blythe Clark, Health 34 Provider, UC Davis Fire Department

Resources:

Health 34

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Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Productions for audio production services.