HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — A new medical mobile unit will connect veterans in our area with quality healthcare.
The ‘clinic on wheels’ arrived at the Hampton VA Medical Center Monday afternoon.
“There is a continued need to be able to travel across bridges and tunnels and things of that nature,” said Dr. Taquisa Simmons, executive director of the Hampton VA Medical Center. “Us being mobile and offering services [like]; screenings, vaccines, [and] exams, right in a person’s environment is huge! This is a big opportunity and we’re just so excited.”
Hampton VA leaders submitted a proposal for the unit since the Hampton Medical Center serves about 70,000 veterans.
“It is one of the fastest growing facilities in the country,” Simmons said.
The Hampton VA Medical Center was awarded one of 16 fully outfitted vans, worth just under $100,000, according to Simmons.
Once a week, Air Force veterans Doctor Kimberly Gibson and RN Richard Trevor Kay will visit shelters such as Union Mission and the Salvation Army.
“There has been a surge in homelessness and the need for homeless services in the area,” Gibson said. “Both for veterans and nonveterans.”
The hope is to connect unhoused veterans, or those without transportation, to resources and healthcare options.
“A lot of our patients have two to three, sometimes even more, comorbidities that go unmanaged for two to four years,” Kay said. “A lot of them have never even been to the VA for services. That’s our target population. Getting those people that have fallen through the cracks. It’s one thing getting them through the door, but it’s another thing to actually take care of them. We finally have the tools to do both of those things.”
The mobile unit will be at the Four Oaks Day Center Nov. 6.
Stay with WAVY.com as the full schedule and link to sign up is released.