Novant Health has unveiled the first Community Care Cruiser in the Wilmington area to help improve access to primary care, preventive care, screenings and vaccines with a focus on health equity.
“We're thankful and proud to unveil this cruiser to expand our reach directly to neighborhoods throughout the Wilmington region,” said Jeff Lindsay, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Novant Health. "We know how important access to preventive care truly is, and we're looking forward to seeing the positive impact this new convenient care option will have in the community."
Novant Health's newest Community Care Cruiser was made possible through nearly $400,000 in funding from the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation. Starting in January, the cruiser will be regularly deployed to provide a wide variety of health services, including primary care, routine screening and vaccines, nutrition education and counseling, physical assessments and connections to resources. Translation services will be available on the cruiser to ensure that language is not a barrier to care.
“We are grateful to our philanthropic supporters for empowering us to support vital advancements in access locally,” said Ann Caulkins, senior vice president, Novant Health, and president, Novant Health Foundations. "Our Community Care Cruisers have had a positive impact in our Charlotte and Winston-Salem areas, allowing our teams to go to where our patients are with the services they need, and we are so excited to see a new cruiser serve individuals and families locally."
Novant Health is committed to closing health equity gaps and addressing social determinants of health. This work includes close collaboration with community partners, placing clinics and mobile health units in targeted areas of the community to provide timely and accessible health information, care and treatment. The cruiser team will include providers from the future Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinics in Wilmington. To underscore the connection, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held within view of the clinic under construction on Greenfield Street, which is set to open in 2024. A second clinic is planned for Princess Place Drive.
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