USF Mo-Bull clinic expands access to care through partnerships with Tampa Bay Downs and community organizations

For the last century, Tampa Bay Downs (TBD) has been a landmark of the northern Tampa Bay region where narrow finishes, huge wins and legendary horse racing take place. However, none of those moments would be possible if it weren't for the seasonal workers behind the track.

On the backstretch, there's a wide-open space with about 30 barns and a small chaplaincy. Come November, the horse-racing season begins, and the barns come alive with approximately 1,500 horses and between 300 and 500 seasonal workers from around the world living together. They care for the horses, service the track and do all the other hard labor - work that often comes with risk, says Vicki Pope, board member of the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America Tampa Bay Downs Division.

"Working around horses is a volatile situation. You can get hurt, stepped on or thrown into a wall," Pope said. "And just like a lot of regular Americans, we don't go to the doctor as often as we should."

So instead, the healthcare comes to them. It's all thanks to the USF College of Nursing's 38-foot RV - called the Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic - which serves nine locations in the Tampa Bay area, including Tampa Bay Downs.

Pope herself laid the path for the Mo-Bull partnership. She and Duellyn Pandis, the College of Nursing's director of clinical practice, attend the same church. One Sunday, Pope mentioned the need for reliable medical help at the backstretch. Pandis listened, and the collaboration was formed.

"Access to care begins with access to place," said Pandis. "Our partners who open their doors to the Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic are not just providing locations; they are creating pathways to health access and community trust. Their collaboration transforms barriers into opportunities, ensuring that care reaches patients where they are most needed."

In addition to more urgent medical needs, workers also need standard checkups and medications. Since most seasonal workers come from other countries, the majority are on temporary visas with limited benefits.

"Once those benefits are gone, they're gone," said Chaplain Alex DeLima, who helps workers navigate those challenges.

Before the Mo-Bull began visiting the track three years ago, DeLima was shuttling workers to a nearby clinic six to eight times a day. He'd often serve not only as their driver but also as their translator, paperwork assistant and advocate inside the appointment.

Now, several times each month, the Mo-Bull Nurse Medical Clinic provides workers with full primary care, allowing them to reserve their visa benefits for more serious situations.

"It's a blessing," DeLima said. "This is a sports chaplain, but I'm also responsible for pastoral care. The Mo-Bull unit has just made my life easier and allows me to take better care of my other responsibilities."

Whether it be transportation, lack of benefits or any other barrier, closing various gaps in patient care is the heart of the Mo-Bull clinic.

Launched in 2023 through a four-year grant, it's become a lifeline for communities distanced from traditional healthcare. As of May 2026, the clinic has logged 2,932 clinical encounters with 2,177 unique patients.

The clinic is staffed with two advanced practice registered nurses, a patient care coordinator and a faculty preceptor, and serves as a clinical training site for College of Nursing undergraduate nursing students.

However, it's the partnerships that allow the unit to realize its full potential.

Another organization creating a vital path between its constituents and the Mo-Bull services is Gulf Coast Jewish Family & Community Services (JFCS).

Abdel Dana Roca, director of refugee integration services for Gulf Coast JFCS, says a pillar of their mission is dedicated to helping newcomers to the United States get settled and become self-sufficient.

Limited access to medical insurance, transportation and an overwhelming number of requirements facing new arrivals contribute to gaps in care for the populations Gulf Coast JFCS serves.

Since the Mo-Bull unit began partnering with Gulf Coast JFCS, Dana Roca has witnessed services that define the breadth of impact the Mo-Bull can make: providing insulin to patients who couldn't afford to wait for a standard appointment, conducting physicals for newly arrived families with children starting school and diagnosing conditions that had been affecting patients for years.

Healthcare is only one piece of the puzzle at Gulf Coast JFCS. In early 2024, Dr. Enola Okonkwo took ownership of that part of the mission as medical director for refugee services at Gulf Coast JFCS. She also holds a role as associate professor in Emergency Medicine at USF. Once she heard about the Mo-Bull unit, she started to see more answers than problems.

The Mo-Bull clinic may provide the care, but it is community partners who open the door. Together, they are making healthcare accessible where people live and work while preparing the next generation of nurses to meet patients with the same compassion and dignity.

"They feel that extra care. They see a sense of humanity in the way that they approach them," said Roca. "We try to reach communities, and USF is part of the way that we reach communities."