Clinics in the Community
Mobile Health Unit Brings Medical Services to Local Residents

By Brandi Dawson

RADFORD- What happens when you’re sick and can’t make it to the doctor? In the case of RU’s mobile health unit, help comes to you.
The mobile health unit has been providing services to residents of southwest Virginia since February of 2001. A clinic, which was already operating in Waldron Hall, was expanded to include the mobile health unit after the realization that a lot of the people who needed help couldn’t make it to the campus clinic.

The unit travels to places within about a 60-mile radius of Radford, such as Galax, Craig County and Pulaski. The unit is meant to serve low-income, uninsured adults. A registered nurse, family nurse practitioner and intake worker work hand in hand with an RU nursing student and a family nurse practitioner student to provide these services.

Project Director, Janet McDaniel, said, “We provide health services to those who wouldn’t ordinarily receive them. And at the same time, we provide a unique learning experience for our students.”
Dietetic interns also participate sometimes, along with students from other majors at RU. McDaniel says this is why they chose to name it RU clinics, rather than Waldron Clinics.
Sometimes a translator is also on hand to help communicate with Hispanic clients. Services provided range from physical exams, immunizations, lab tests, women’s health exams, counseling and much more.

The unit is basically an RV, equipped with medical supplies and tools. Although it’s not as large as a normal clinic would be, it’s extremely efficient. It has four sets of sliding doors that can divide the bus into five different exam rooms. It’s fully handicapped accessible and features an intake and waiting area and a laboratory area for blood work. It has a freezer and three refrigerators for vaccines, a fully equipped exam room in the back, and an oxygen tank. It’s most impressive feature, however, is foot-controlled faucets to help prevent cross-contamination.
McDaniel says they hope to soon be able to provide telemedicine services to its patients. This is where they can send pictures through a computer to receive further consultation from physicians and specialists.

The mobile health unit served approximately 1500 people last year. McDaniel says these services are primarily for community residents, not for students. However, students can seek help in the clinics for services not offered in the student health center in Moffett Hall, such as nutritional counseling. Appointments can be made with Fran Scartelli, RN coordinator for Waldron College.