Novant Health deploys a new community care cruiser to advance health equity across the Triad

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 14, 2022

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To improve access to care for patients in Winston-Salem and the surrounding community, Novant Health recently introduced a new Novant Health Community Care Cruiser with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at Novant Health Today’s Woman OB/GYN in Winston-Salem. The 38-foot-long community care cruiser is part of Novant Health’s long-standing commitment to advance health equity for all patients. The new cruiser will help to remove barriers to care by improving access to routine screenings, chronic disease management and referrals to specialty care clinics and other social services.

“We’re very excited to expand health care beyond the traditional clinic or hospital setting in order to reach patients where they are and with the services they need close to home,” said Chad Setliff, senior vice president and president of Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center and greater Winston-Salem market. “The new community care cruiser will allow us to continue to work strategically with our community partners, including our local faith leaders, to close the gaps in health disparities.”

The $627,060 community care cruiser was funded through Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Foundation. It is spaciously designed to provide a wide variety of free walk-through health services including screenings and vaccines, nutrition education and counseling, physical assessments including sports physicals, as well as referrals to primary and specialty care services. The community care cruiser will be staffed by the community engagement team, medical interpreters and volunteers.

The new cruiser will be regularly deployed by the community engagement team to reach underserved patients in and around Forsyth County. Community members may request a visit from the community cruiser by visiting https://bit.ly/Re-YOU. For more information about the cruiser, email Porsche Jones, manager of community health services, at pnjones@NovantHealth.org.

While COVID-19 shined a spotlight on many existing health disparities within the Triad and across the state, Novant Health has always been committed to closing health equity gaps and addressing social determinants of health. This work includes placing clinics and mobile health units in underserved areas of the community to provide timely and accessible health information, care and treatment. To assist the community with upward mobility and professional growth, Novant Health has implemented hundreds of outreach programs and services, including a MyCommunity tool online to help people search for free or reduced cost services like medical care, food and job training.