GCSU addresses disparities in rural healthcare with new Mobile Health Unit

By Cindy O'Donnell

A s rural clinics and hospitals nationwide are closing their doors, Georgia College & State University proudly unveiled its new Mobile Health Unit Oct. 22, 2024 - a free screening center on wheels - that will address rural healthcare needs in Central Georgia and train students in preventive care.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Russell Auditorium lawn, the customized vehicle was open for public viewing and tours. It now hits the road for a health fair in Putnam County, partnering with Putnam General Hospital, as well as free screenings in several local communities.

Spanning more than 40 feet with three retractable awnings, the unit boasts two intake areas, two medical exam rooms, refrigeration for vaccines and a bathroom.

President Cathy Cox with students from GCSU's College of Health Sciences.

By 2023, 30% of all rural hospitals nationwide were at risk for closure. That year, U.S. News & World Report ranked Georgia No. 7 for states with the most rural hospital closings. To date, nine rural hospitals in Georgia have closed. One stopped providing in-patient care, and 18 others are at financial risk, a study by Chartis found.

These closures compound the grim reality that https://dch.georgia.gov/divisionsoffices/state-office-rural-health/about-sorh.

"Rural hospital closings are becoming more common across the country," said Dr. Will Evans, dean of the university's College of Health Sciences. "Often, these smaller hospitals cannot generate enough revenue to cover expenses, since that would require surgical services and specialty services that are not something you typically see available in smaller communities."

"Preventive screenings are a big part of what we hope to do," he said. "We'll bring free services to areas that otherwise might not have them."

Greater poverty rates, less access to health care and lack of insurance can lead to more obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, according to a report by the Center for Disease Control.

Georgia ranks fifth in the nation for accessibility to healthcare, according to Forbes Advisor. That study showed Georgians as second for people without health insurance. In 2023, the Commonwealth Fund put Georgia at No. 45 in the nation for overall health and No. 48 for access to healthcare and affordability. This year, another study earmarked Hancock County as among the least healthy populations in the state.

Georgia College's Mobile Health Unit will help tackle this problem-bringing preventive care to counties like Baldwin, Bibb, Hancock, Houston, Jones, Putnam and Wilkinson that often lack resources.
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It's unusual for small universities to have mobile health units, Evans noted. Dr. Damian Francis, epidemiologist and associate professor of public health, agreed.

"GCSU is innovative in this regard for a smaller public liberal arts university," Francis said. "This echoes our commitment to community engagement and tackling societal challenges with bold ideas."

Dr. Damian Francis The vision for a mobile health unit emerged three years ago to address burgeoning health disparities made worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. <_o3a_p>Most public-health efforts focused on testing and vaccination, Francis said, while the need for basic health screenings for chronic conditions were not being met.

Georgia College began addressing underlying, health risk factors in Central Georgia-like hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes-through its Center for Health & Social Issues, which Francis heads.

"The Mobile Health Unit will increase our capacity to do more and reach a wider geographic area. The work we've done, and its planned expansion through the mobile health unit, is life-saving," Francis said.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to bring preventive services directly to rural Georgians," he added, "and to address barriers like lack of transportation, health literacy and poverty."

With the help of friends and community benefactors-Georgia College is now set to launch the Mobile Health Unit on its first outreach voyage.

Requests for the vehicle are pouring in. Evans anticipates the mobile unit will offer services at 10 community events per year. An outreach visit will typically last 4 to 6 hours, Francis said, with about 10 students participating each time.

The vehicle is an extension of Georgia College's clinical classroom space.

The self-powered, ADA-accessible vehicle is fully equipped with screening tools to assess cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and hemoglobin. Staff will conduct stress and cardiovascular risk assessments as well.

A College of Health Sciences student practices screening assessments in GCSU's new Mobile Health Unit. The Center for Health & Social Issues in charged with operating and managing the Mobile Health Unit. Staff will include nursing, public health and exercise science majors-supervised by nursing faculty.

Engaging one-on-one with rural patients, students will see some of the social issues that drive premature disease and strain hospitals. They'll gain firsthand knowledge of how social determinants like poverty, lack of transportation and reduced access to healthcare and insurance often lead to obesity, elevated blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

"This ranges from no doctor or primary care professional in their area to no hospital," Evans said. "Many of our students have not seen what it's like in these rural areas of Georgia. It should be a good experience for them to learn what preventive care means in high health-risk areas."

"This mobile unit will expand our reach, promote wellbeing and help us get more students out in the field to educate people about health," he added. "The screenings we do should catch health risks earlier and save lives in our community."

Before working in the mobile unit, students will undergo specific training and orientation on protocols and procedures for the equipment inside. They'll be taught how to perform basic health screenings and provide health and nutritional education.

To support GCSU's Mobile Health Unit and promote health in rural areas, please donate using this QR code. Students will give demonstrations on the benefits of physical activity and CPR. Sports medicine will also be provided, along with mental health checks.

"We are, in some cases, the only healthcare provider some folks will see in a year," Francis said. "Preventive and primary health care in the U.S. are primarily driven by signs and symptoms people experience. What we hope to do is provide people with these screening services early on to prevent or delay onset or worsening of diseases that are largely preventable."

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