The University of Toledo Medical Center officially took delivery of a new mobile health clinic at a Friday ribbon cutting ceremony joined by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur.
The 37-foot-long custom-built vehicle will enable UTMC to expand its reach and provide preventative health screenings and other medical services to underserved communities throughout northwest Ohio.
The University of Toledo Medical Center officially took delivery of a new mobile health clinic at a Friday ribbon cutting ceremony joined by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur.
“This is a very special opportunity for us to have the chance to take our providers, our nurses, our physicians, our residents, our medical students out into the community and help patients who may have trouble getting to a hospital or a clinic,” said President Gregory Postel. “This is our mission — to expand access to medical care — and we’re very excited that this gives us a chance to do that.”
The mobile clinic was purchased and built with Community Project Funding secured by Kaptur through the Health Resources and Services Administration.
“I was proud to bring home $500,000 in federal funding for The University of Toledo to establish its own mobile medical unit. This unit is important because many healthcare providers are investing in improving health outcomes and patient experience, and mobile health is increasingly a path toward versatile, timely medical care,” Kaptur said. “Mobile clinics operate as rolling medical offices that can provide a variety of healthcare services, often in medically underserved areas, and for hard-to-reach individuals. These mobile medical units will also make it easier to reach those in rural communities across northwest Ohio that often lack access to nearby medical facilities.”
Additional support for the clinic was provided by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.
The mobile clinic unit, which is based on a Ford F-550, has two exam rooms, a restroom and a small waiting room on board. The vehicle was constructed by Tesco Transportation Equipment, a third-generation, family-owned firm based in Oregon, Ohio, and which hosted Friday’s ribbon cutting event.
“This state-of-the art rolling clinic would not be possible without Congresswoman Kaptur, who worked to secure the funding that allowed us to purchase this vehicle and have it built by the team here at Tesco. We’re grateful for Representative Kaptur understanding the value of this mobile clinic and to have right in our backyard a company with years of experience building these types of vehicles,” Postel said. “We also want to recognize Anthem for its support of this important initiative.”
In addition to Kaptur and Postel, the ribbon cutting was attended by UTMC President Rick Swaine and other leaders from UTMC, representatives from Anthem and Tesco employees who worked on the mobile clinic.
Initially the mobile clinic will focus on preventative health screenings, offering blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and lead blood tests. As time goes on, UTMC officials say additional services can be added based on the needs of the community.
UTMC will take the clinic throughout the 9th Congressional District, which centers on Toledo and stretches west to the Indiana line and east to Vermillion. A particular focus will be given to areas of high poverty and rural areas where access to care can be limited.
