Bon Secours taking health care to communities

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Bon Secours St. Francis plans to debut a new mobile medial unit soon to give the health system another way to deliver primary care services to communities that aren’t receiving care in sufficient numbers at traditional facilities.

The 38-foot customized RV, equipped with two exam rooms, will have a care team that includes a medical provider specializing in family medicine, according to a news release. The bus will serve patients age 2 and older.

“This new mobile unit complements the already high-quality care provided at our brick and mortar facilities,” Matt Caldwell, market president for Bon Secours St. Francis, said in the news release. “It allows us to expand access by taking the same great care you’d receive at one of our primary care practices and putting it right at your doorstep.”

The mobile medical unit will give patients onsite access to the COVID-19 vaccine as well as preventive care — including screenings for diabetes, heart disease and other conditions. Services will also include lab work, sports physicals, as well as routine evaluation and treatment of common acute illnesses such as respiratory infections, earaches and pink eye.

The provider on board will have access to patients’ electronic medical records, the release said. The results of their visit will also become part of that record.

“The mobile medical unit will allow Bon Secours to fill a gap in those underserved communities that often face barriers when trying to access care,” Caldwell said in the release. “By providing basic services at convenient locations in their community, we’re also opening up the door to a more comprehensive network of care to help those who need additional care get connected faster and more efficiently.”

Bon Secours St. Francis is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health. Bon Secours Mercy Health provides nearly $2 million per day in community benefit, according to the release.