LAUREL, Del. – In southern Delaware, primary care is now coming to a street or parking lot near you with mobile health services on the move.
“Provides multiple services, we’re going to be expanding as we go, screenings, blood pressure screenings, vaccination events including flu and COVID boosters as well as primary care opportunities,” says Dr. Shannon Pan, an MD with ChristianaCare.
The mobile health services van comes with a partnership between Christianacare and Laurel Public Library. On the full service van, you can expect to see: “There’s two exam rooms that are essentially fully equipped like exams room you might see at your local doctors providers office and in the center we have opportunity for testing that’s to come,” says Pan .
The library director says there is a great need in the community, healthcare needs. Making this the perfect timing for mobile health care resources. “A lot of different needs some people have a lot of serious health issues and either don’t have the means to get care for that or they don’t have the correct information or no where to look for that,” says Gail Bruce, the Laurel Public Library Director.
Information and access to more vaccines and physicals that Doctor Shannon Pan says are affordable for all to access. “We do offer $0 cost services like vaccines but we do try to incorporate insurance so that we can get a little bit of the funding back to support the van as well,” says Pan.
Bruce also says that having this mobile health service means better health for the longevity of the community. “This is a way to help people get those resources they need to be able to treat that and to be able to become healthier and more productive and it’s an all around benefit for the community,” says Bruce.
Bruce also says the library is back open following the recent fire in the nearby area. There is a telehealth kiosk in the library that is also available for service. The mobile van will be at the library every Friday and moving around to different events in Sussex County, for more information visit their website.