New “Health Express” Will Hit the Roads This Spring
The Self Regional Health Express, a 42-foot mobile vehicle, will be utilized by Self Regional to offer wellness and prevention services such as clinical exams, screenings, referral and health education to serve the seven county region of Upstate South Carolina.
(Greenwood, S.C., April 25, 2013) – Self Regional Healthcare, the Lakelands’ comprehensive healthcare system, has unveiled a community health outreach initiative designed to improve the health and well being of residents of the seven-county region of Upstate South Carolina.
The Self Regional Health Express, a 42-foot mobile vehicle, will be utilized by Self Regional to offer wellness and prevention services such as clinical exams, screenings, referral and health education.
“The Health Express is a visible reminder of Self Regional’s commitment to community outreach and community health improvement,” said Neal Asman, Vice President of Strategy and Community Outreach. “Being able to bring these services into underserved communities will improve access to resources to help people improve their health.”
“The decision to invest in a mobile health unit was driven by the population’s health needs, and the need to make healthcare more accessible,” said Mr. Asman. The funding for the mobile health unit included support from the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation. “We sincerely appreciate and the community thanks the Foundation donors for helping to make the Health Express a reality.”
“When we conducted our community health needs assessment last year, we discovered that many people and families do not have a relationship or access to a primary care health provider,” said Mr. Asman. “At the same time, many have health issues we need to address, such as the population at risk for diabetes and the population with unmanaged diabetes. Forty percent of Lakelands residents have not had a test for high blood sugar or diabetes in the last three years.”
The Health Express was unveiled April 25 to Self Regional team members and to the Greenwood Chamber community at two special events. Once the unit begins traveling, it will make appearances at festivals and events, schools, churches, work sites, retail and other locations. The Health Express will offer a variety of different types of screening, educational programming and information based on the needs of the community or audience.
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