Photos courtesy of Mt. Carmel
Mount Carmel Health Systems recently rolled out it’s brand new, state-of-the-art Street Medicine mobile coach and this thing is impressive.
The program began more than 30 years ago and regularly visits nine central Ohio locations to offer free urgent medical care, common medications, some vaccinations, food and clothing, psychiatric and spiritual care, and additional resources to uninsured or underinsured patients.
“We go to the people in order to bring care to them, and it’s the people who need it the most,” says Dr. Jack O’Hadley, medical director for MCHS’s community health and well-being.
The new coach is basically a 21st-century hospital on wheels – sleek wood cabinets hide resources, larger examination rooms with updated equipment, even an expanded pharmacy.
“The new vehicle is so nice and so streamlined, and we know the patients will love it,” says Jackie White, nurse practitioner within community health and well-being.
MCHS will still use the old coach as a back-up, an aspect O’Hadley appreciates.
“I like the idea of having a back-up, because when we don’t have that we’re doing the medical care inside (the locations) and we have to transport everything off the coach,” he says.
You could also call it a mini-museum. Historical information and photos line the cabins’ walls, and even in the name pays tribute to the and in bright red letters above the steering wheel reads Red Rover. The official name pays tribute to the founders of Mount Carmel, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who cared for Civil War soldiers on a boat titled Red Rover.
Standing in the warmly lite motor coach, it’s easy to see that the new space isn’t just a medical advancement, but a symbol of MCHS’s dedication to central Ohio.
Lydia Freudenberg Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
