New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine-Arkansas has a new tool known as the Delta Care-a-van that will greatly enhance the free health screenings the medical school has been conducting in Northeast Arkansas. The college celebrated the arrival of the mobile medical vehicle at an unveiling ceremony held at the Arkansas State University Fowler Center.
Last spring, NYITCOM-Arkansas received a United States Department of Agriculture Delta Healthcare Service Grant for $828,748 to fund health education screenings. Much of the funding was used to build the Delta Care-a-van. After months of construction, the 40-foot long vehicle recently arrived in Arkansas, and will soon be deployed for health screenings.
Since March, NYITCOM-Arkansas - along with Delta Care-a-van partners University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), St. Bernards Medical Center, and the Arkansas State University College of Nursing & Health Professions - has conducted 13 free health screenings in seven communities designated in the grant. Those communities include Harrisburg, Leachville, Lepanto, Manila, Marked Tree, Piggott, and Walnut Ridge. Future screenings will include the Care-a-van vehicle, which is fitted with two examination rooms, an intake area, and telemedicine capabilities.
“Our medical students, faculty, staff, and partners have already made a tremendous impact as we’ve visited communities to establish relationships and provide invaluable health education,” said Shane Speights, DO, dean of NYITCOM-Arkansas. “Now that we have the Care-a-van, that impact will be even greater as we utilize it as a vehicle to better health outcomes in Arkansas and the Delta.”
NYITCOM-Arkansas was established to help alleviate the significant physician shortage facing Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta and to provide educational programs to help improve health outcomes in those targeted geographic areas, which is statistically one of the poorest areas in the country in terms of health.
The Delta Care-a-van addresses both focal points of NYITCOM’s mission.
Medical students from NYITCOM-Arkansas, resident physicians from UAMS and St. Bernards Medical Center, and nursing and social work students from Arkansas State University will conduct the screenings at each event, meaning the Delta Care-a-van provides practical, hands-on training for all of the aspiring medical professionals.
Additionally, each Delta Care-a-van event gives community members the opportunity to be screened for hypertension, diabetes, and anxiety/depression. Participants also receive referrals to regional physicians for follow-up care and information about resources that are available in their communities, which meets the public health education component of NYITCOM’s focus.
“Through the Delta Care-a-van, our aspiring medical professionals will also experience the joys, opportunities, and challenges of rural practice,” said Brookshield Laurent, DO, chair of clinical medicine for NYITCOM and Delta Care-a-van director. “Our medical students along with the residents and A-State students will be working in areas where people are looking to be better informed about their health and health-related issues. We have a real opportunity to make a tremendous impact in these communities.”
The first free health screening that will feature Delta Care-a-van is scheduled for Sept. 19 in Harrisburg.