(Walworth County submission) Walworth County’s Department of Health and Human Services will be coming to a neighborhood near you with its new mobile health unit. Designed to offer a range of health and wellness education and direct services, the Walworth County Mobile Health Hub will hit the road starting Saturday, July 10th. Its first stop will be Saturdays on the Square, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Veterans Park in downtown Elkhorn. The Health Hub will then set up at the Whitewater City Market on July 13th from 4 to 7 p.m. before heading to Delavan Fresh Market on Thursday, July 15th, from 3 to 6 p.m. in Tower Park.
The Health Hub is Walworth County’s first health-on-the-go initiative. Its mission is to provide health and wellness services and education where residents live, work, and play, providing a convenient, affordable, and accessible alternative to traditional agency or clinic-based services.
“The Health Hub will make health and wellness services more readily available and less intimidating,” says Walworth County Health and Human Services Deputy Director Trista Piccola. “By meeting people where they’re at, we will be better equipped to get the right services to the right people when they need it. Rural communities continue to have areas that are underserved, and we want to ensure our programs reach our residents who need them.”
Walworth County staff representing an array of county-provided health and social service programs will be on board to assist residents. “We need to ensure communities have access to services that address physical health needs,” says Deputy Director Piccola, “but equally as important is access to mental health and prevention services.”
A new community health assessment launching later this summer will help steer decisions about where the mobile unit will be deployed and the types of services it will offer. “We expect the information will provide a clearer picture of the physical, social, and emotional impacts of COVID-19, and how the Mobile Health Hub may be used to strengthen services to communities and residents most impacted,” says Piccola.
The Ford E-450 is fully equipped with an exam room, blood draw chair, and cold storage to provide some direct healthcare services, including free healthcare assessments, such as blood pressure screenings; education and information about mental and physical health; Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program visits; and vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine.
By forming partnerships with local health partners, Health and Human Services plans to capitalize on the unit’s mobile capabilities and ensure that the Health Hub is a true community health asset. “By expanding access to quality health and wellness services and providing a more visible, accessible platform from which to spread the message about the importance of health, our hope is to improve care, lower costs, and, ultimately, save lives here in Walworth County,” says Piccola.
In addition to the July market dates, the Health Hub is also currently scheduled to participate in Walworth County National Night Out on August 3 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds. Additional dates and locations will be added soon; to find out when the Health Hub will be in your community, follow Walworth County Department of Health and Human Services on Facebook. Or contact Walworth County Health and Human Services at walcohhs@co.walworth.wi.us or (262) 741-3200.
