Emplify Health by Gundersen staff and members of the public toured the new Pediatric Mobile Clinic during an open house on July 30.
RYAN HENRY
Emplify Health by Gundersen
A new clinic on wheels is helping to close the care gap for children in Adams County.
The Emplify Health by Gundersen Mobile Pediatric Clinic recently started seeing pediatric patients in Adams-Friendship, Wis. -- the first community the new clinic is traveling to that will help improve access for children and youth in rural areas.
"People are busy. It can be a challenge for parents and kids to get routine care, particularly in our rural areas where there are very few providers and long drives between them. People may need to drive over an hour for a physical. We want to close this gap," said Jennifer Kleven, MD, a pediatrician at Emplify Health by Gundersen, who was part of the steering committee that helped make the mobile clinic a reality.
COVID exacerbates need
The need for a mobile clinic became most apparent during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. During its earliest days, children older than 2 were asked not to come to in-person well-child appointments for safety reasons. At the same time, doctors knew these kids would be missing out on vaccinations and annual well-child visits.
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"I think the care gaps we saw during and after the pandemic really drove action on the idea. We knew the fallout from COVID was going to last for years and that we were going to have kids who weren't caught up on their vaccinations or their wellness care," Kleven said. "We also know we have a lot of need in our communities in general. We wanted to find a way we could reach kids where they are, rather than having them have to come to the clinic."
Some motivation for the project came from seeing the success of the St. Clare Health Mission's mobile medicine unit that serves unhoused adults in La Crosse and the surrounding area. The Emplify Health team worked closely with the St. Clare group initially to learn about the care gaps they were addressing, what a vehicle might need to include, and ways to off er mobile care.
The project wouldn't have gotten off the ground had it not been for support from the federal government and donations through the Gundersen Medial Foundation and Children's Miracle Network.
In 2022, Sen. Tammy Baldwin and the Senate Appropriations Committee, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, secured $231,000 for the project. Over the next two years, CMNH and the Gundersen Medical Foundation raised $162,000 to fund the vehicle.
Expanding access, building trust
The unit's flexibility makes it a great asset, as it can provide a variety of services in many different locations. As with care in a traditional primary care clinic, the service will initially be centered around preventative care -- focusing on well-child visits and vaccinations.
The mobile unit staff will also off er care for some acute illnesses and mental health issues. While they won't be able to manage everything, the staff have been working closely with the Adams and Friendship communities and existing health care services to make sure they can get kids the care they need.
"We know there's a segment of the population of children who are not getting health care, and there are a lot of reasons for that," said Frank Perez-Guerra, administrator at Emplify Health by Gundersen Friendship Hospital. "Ultimately, the idea would be that if they're seen on the mobile unit, we could transition them either to the Westfield Clinic or Friendship Clinic to establish care."
Kleven will staff the mobile unit initially, but eventually, the goal is to have local providers participate in care as well. Perez-Guerra said more local faces will begin staffing the unit in the fall so children and families can build relationships and trust with people in their community.
"We're really trying to expand access, build trust and drive healthier communities," said Sarah Rossman, clinical operations director in Ambulatory Services.
O n-site at schools
"Partnerships with local entities have been outstanding," said Justine Lafond, a project manager with Emplify Health by Gundersen. "The steering committee has worked closely with representatives from the Adams-Friendship School District, Adams County Public Health Department, other health care organizations in the area, and business owners."
These partnerships helped tee up the Mobile Clinic's successful launch on July 15 at Adams-Friendship Middle School, followed by a visit to the high school on July 22. It'll visit the high school two more times this summer: Aug. 12 and 26. The goal was to see a small number of students during the July visits to pilot the workflows, then open the schedule for anyone in August.
"We know that with mobile care, consistency and predictability is important, because that way, parents, kids, teachers, and others in the community can plan on what is going to happen," Kleven said. "If we just show up, our likelihood of having patients there goes down."
Initially, providers plan to be on site at least bi-weekly, if not weekly, this fall. The need will be continually assessed.
"We have a growth mindset," Kleven said. "This work is something that's going to evolve. We will do our best to tailor it to meet the needs of the community."
The future is mobile
Adams County was the first location chosen for the unit because of a shortage of primary care providers at the hospital and clinics, which can make it difficult to be seen. Ultimately, the goal is to bring care to as many children and families as possible.
"This is just another step at looking at how we support our communities, going forward, especially in the primary care arena," Perez-Guerra said.
Rossman knows that other cities - along with their local schools and hospitals - could benefit from the Mobile Clinic's service, and the hope is that by the end of the year, the unit and its staff will care for people from all around Emplify Health by Gundersen's service area. That care might include a vaccination clinic at a county fair or physicals for upcoming high school sports seasons. Mobility equals flexibility.
"The long-term goal is that this mobile unit is able to touch all of our communities in whatever way is needed," she said. "If this works out, we will be on the road almost every day."
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