UF Health celebrates new OB/GYN Mobile Outreach vehicle with ribbon-cutting ceremony
Press release from UF Health
BY MATT WALKER
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Continuing its effort to bring academic-quality medicine to area communities closest to where people work and live, University of Florida Health today unveiled the latest addition to its fleet of specialized mobile outreach vehicles.
The 40-foot-long UF Health OB/GYN Mobile Outreach bus aims to support the health and well-being of people who face barriers to accessing gynecologic and maternal care.
The UF Health OB/GYN Mobile Outreach Program is a collaboration between the UF Mobile Outreach Clinic and the UF College of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The new mobile program primarily serves communities in Alachua and surrounding counties, bridging the gap for patients who may otherwise struggle to access gynecologic and maternal care.
“This vehicle will be traveling throughout our region to expand access to these services for people and communities throughout the region,” said Jennifer Hunt, M.D., M.Ed., UF College of Medicine interim dean and the Folke H. Peterson Dean’s Distinguished Professor. “This will include prenatal care, postpartum care, and annual and preventive exams. We’ll be able to meet patients where they live, which is pretty spectacular.”
Healthcare providers staffing the mobile unit also will provide breastfeeding and family planning support to help empower individuals to make informed decisions about reproductive health.
Inside, the vehicle features two exam rooms, a waiting area, lab space, and a wheelchair lift. The unit is equipped to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to everyone — regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
“This mobile unit will serve as a lifeline for communities that face significant barriers to healthcare; it is a testament to the commitment and innovation of UF Health, the College of Medicine, and the College of Nursing,” said Shakira Henderson, Ph.D., D.N.P., M.S., M.P.H., EMBA, UF College of Nursing dean and UF Health system chief nurse executive. “My passion for women’s health has always driven me to seek innovative ways to serve women, and therefore the OB/GYN mobile unit is extremely dear to my heart.”
The new model not only addresses the physical distance that makes accessing care challenging for residents in many communities but also breaks down other barriers, like financial ones, that often prevent people from seeking care, Henderson said.
The UF Health OB/GYN Mobile Outreach vehicle schedule can be found online, showing all upcoming dates and locations.
The mobile clinic should require a dad to be involved.
You understand that “requiring” may mean a rapist or physically abusive “dad” for some.
It would seem sensible to me that if you have to “struggle” to obtain gyn care you might consider not having a baby….
Yeah, well the same people opposing this effort made abortions virtually impossible in Florida, so second thoughts can’t be part of those “considerations” you advocate for. Our species wouldn’t have made it if most humans had your attitude.
How about two 20 foot trucks driving around giving out free birth control so this 40 foot truck is not needed?
It will still be needed if only for rapes, genius. Maybe you are under the illusion that sexual relations are a matter of planning and cool calculations, but that’s not how it works, and by the way, is why it has worked to the advantage of our species.
Jazzman I believe you may have experienced significant interactions that have influenced your ability to engage in the conversation objectively. I hope that you are able to navigate and overcome these challenges in the future.
I appreciate that the outreach bus offers not only prenatal care but also preventative services and additional support for women’s health through its gynecological services.
I have no idea what your point is in the 1st paragraph but good that we agree on the 2nd, though it is not for the purpose Better Solution wants, nor would it succeed at that.