b'& FITNESSHEALTH through Mobile Health ServicesConnecting Communities By Kimberly SouthWheresyourdoctor?FormanySouthCarolinians livingincitiesandtowns,theansweriswithin 10milesofhome.Forothers,itcouldbeasfaras 50miles,withacriticalcarefacilitymorethanan houraway.Forthesepeople,accesstoappropriate healthcare is a serious challenge. AccordingtotheRuralHealthInformationHub, 14% of the states population lives in rural areas. In total,thestatehasfourcriticalaccesshospitals,99 ruralhealthclinics,119FederallyQualifiedHealth Centers(FQHCs)and26short-termhospitals.In addition, in rural South Carolina in 2020:8.5% of residents lacked health insurance (Kaiser)Per capita income averaged $40,315$8,000 less than in urban areas (USDA Economic Research Services)Povertywas18.1%5%higherthaninurban areas (USDA Economic Research Services)But theres good news for those needing better accessThe Prisma Health Mobile Health Clinic will provide urgent care services in select rural areas on designated Saturdays. tocare.InApril2022,PrismaHealthreceivedaSchedules will be made through February 2023 and may vary based on weather and/or resources. For a current schedule, $200,000 grant from the South Carolina Center forplease visit PrismaHealth.org.RuralandPrimaryHealthcaretoprovidemobile urgent care services in the Midlands.This funding allows the Prisma Health Communityequippedvanwillbescheduledatalternatingrural and Social Health team, led by Vice President Angelasites every Saturday, with the unit returning to service Jenkins,toextendcareinruralareasofRichlandlocations each month. County(Eastover),SumterCounty(Rembert),Forinstance,saidMobileHealthClinicManager FairfieldCounty(Ridgeway)andeasternLexingtonValerie Sullivan, our team will plan to be at a specific County (Swansea). locationonthesecondSaturdayofeachmonth,so Such expansion is made possible thanks to a 38-footfollow-upvisitscanbeplannedforthepatientswe PrismaHealthMobileHealthClinic. Thespeciallysee. 20IMARA'