Inside a bus, East Texans get the health care they can’t afford or find anywhere else

Shelly Huffman meets with a nurse practitioner at a mobile health clinic in Kirbyville on Oct. 17. The mobile unit provided affordable care to Huffman, who doesn’t have health insurance coverage. (Credit: Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribune)

KIRBYVILLE — When Shelly Huffman stepped onto a 40-foot bus on Monday afternoon, she wasn’t looking for public transportation. She needed a checkup.

The 52-year-old had recently been diagnosed with depression and high blood pressure, which runs in her family. Without health insurance, Huffman could no longer afford to see a doctor to help manage her hypertension.