Medical mobile unit to begin making stops in Greene
Natalie Crouse, a nurse practitioner with Cornerstone Care, stands inside a mobile medical van that will offer health care services during stops this month in Greene, Fayette and Somerset counties.
Natalie Crouse and her nursing assistant, Natalie Hancher, stand outside the mobile medical van during a stop at Waynesburg University this month.
WAYNESBURG – A specialized mobile medical vehicle will begin making routine stops in Greene County and surrounding areas later this month to offer health care services to underserved communities.
Natalie Crouse, a nurse practitioner overseeing the mobile program, said she hopes to deliver necessary medical care and remove barriers for people who need it the most.
“There are mobile medical units that run across the country, but nothing for just this area,” Crouse said. “The team involved in providing services is grounded, aware of the challenges we will have and excited to bring education and hope to the community so they can regain control of their health.”
The program is being administered through Cornerstone Care with the help of a federal health care grant. The mobile medical unit, outfitted with most of the equipment found in a doctor’s office, will be in Greene County April 28 when it will be parked outside Woodside Manor in Carmichaels from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The vehicle also will be in Connellsville Wednesday, Uniontown Thursday and Confluence April 29. Crouse expects the schedule to expand in upcoming months and eventually reach into Washington County.
The group has received strong feedback from people attending informational seminars in some of those communities to raise awareness, Crouse said. She and nursing assistant Natalie Hancher visited Waynesburg University earlier this month to explain how the vehicle will be utilized.
“What we’re attempting to do is bring medical services to underserved areas and communities with people who have barriers to care,” Crouse said.
Cornerstone Chief of Operations Richard Rinehart said the company has owned the mobile unit for at least six years, but has never been able to perform routine stops or make return visits. Rinehart said the federal grant and Crouse will allow them to have a regular presence in the community.
“We really do have a shot to see what we can accomplish in these satellite locations by being there on a regular basis,” Rinehart said. “It allows us to be much more predictable and follow-up with patients’ care and go to where people are.”
Karen Bennett, Greene County’s human services administrator, welcomed the return of the mobile unit to the area.
“I’m thrilled to have that medical van because certainly some of our (residents) don’t always get the care they need because they don’t have the transportation,” Bennett said.
Crouse said they can perform a variety of services, including physicals, screenings and check-ups for acute or chronic conditions.
Crouse, who grew up in Brownsville, likened the program to the book mobile that made frequent visits to her hometown. That gave her a number of reading choices that were otherwise unavailable to her area, making her tout the importance of mobile services.
“Growing up, we didn’t have much, but I really looked forward to the book mobile,” she said. “That mobile service gave me such a love of learning as a kid that I really relied that and am still an avid reader.”
She’s now trying to build on that mobile concept by bringing medical care directly to underserved people in an attempt to improve their health and teach them how they can take control. Something as simple as learning how to regulate blood pressure or problems associated with obesity can be “enlightening” for certain people.
“They think health is this bizarre animal that is out of their control, that poor health is something that just happens to the them,” Crouse said. “You can take the reins and rein in some of these factors. You can control it to a certain degree. That power is very valuable.”
Crouse, who previously worked in hospice care, is looking forward to getting behind the wheel and establishing a relationship with the people she meets.
“When you work on the road, you have to be flexible and have to establish a rapport with people and be more independent,” Crouse said. “I really appreciate all walks of life.
Anyone is welcome, Crouse said, and they’re encouraging both sign-ups and “walk-ins” at the vehicle. People are asked to bring the name of the last doctor they saw, an insurance card, proof of income if they’re not insured, and a list of medications and allergies. The medical care is not free, but the federal grant subsidizes a “sliding scale” for co-pays and deductibles, along with any fees for the uninsured.