Trung Le, Special to The Herald-Times
Monroe County Health Department (MCHD) wants to create a mobile health unit to provide vaccines, STD/HIV testing, blood pressure screenings, glucose testing, and maternal health counseling to communities in need. The unit would target rural areas with limited transportation to address lack of access to care in Monroe County.
The proposal comes at the end of a one-month externship program, which Monroe County and three other health departments in Indiana are piloting with the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Shaun Grega, the program’s first participant, drafted the proposal for the mobile health unit. One rainy day, he observed the nursing staff of MCHD using their personal vehicles to transport expensive medical equipment to a fair at Banneker Community Center. They greeted a total of three visitors to their booth that day. Grega attributed the poor turnout to the rain and the fair's location, which made it difficult for those who needed the services the most to attend.
Filling a gap in services
According to the Monroe County Community Health Assessment 2019 - 2021, there is one primary care provider for every 1,690 people in Monroe County. That ratio is one to 1,500 in Indiana. Mental health and access to care marked the two top priorities in community focus groups conducted by the assessment.
“The greatest strength of a mobile unit is in its flexibility — it can be configured as either a simple vaccination van or a fully equipped clinic, depending on Monroe County’s needs,” Grega said via email.