Cempa Community Care has long been committed to providing residents of Chattanooga and the surrounding areas with access to the important health services they need. Did you know that you can access some of those services in neighborhoods and communities across the area?
Since 2019, Cempa has operated a Mobile Clinic, providing health services, including HIV and Hepatitis C treatment, across southeast Tennessee.
“Here at Cempa Community Care, our mission is to champion healthy communities by providing affordable, compassionate, and high-quality care,” says Ian Stanbery, Mobile Clinic Coordinator at Cempa. “With our mission in mind, bringing services directly to the people and neighborhoods that need them the most is extremely important. This is just one of the creative ways Cempa is working to reduce barriers to accessing the care that everyone deserves.”
Changing Focuses to Meet Community Needs
If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that our healthcare needs can evolve over time. Recognizing that fact, the Mobile Clinic’s services have evolved, too — and will continue to do so in the future.
“Throughout its years of service, the mobile unit has pivoted its focus to the greatest needs of the communities it serves,” Stanbery says. “During the height of the pandemic, the mobile unit shifted its focus to supply COVID-19 testing and vaccines. During this time, the mobile unit targeted areas with the least amount of access to COVID-19 testing and resources.”
As the pandemic waned and the community’s needs evolved again, the Mobile Clinic pivoted to a new focus.
“Since the decline of COVID-19 numbers, the mobile clinic has now shifted its focus to more general health screenings and services,” Stanbery says. “The mobile clinic has always tried to offer a rapid response to the shifting needs of the community in Chattanooga.”
The Who, What, and When of the Mobile Clinic
Cempa’s Mobile Clinic works in coordination with the Office of Community Health in Chattanooga, which conducted an assessment to determine communities most in need of health services. The Mobile Clinic travels to centralized locations within those communities to host events that provide health screenings and connect the community to vital Cempa services.
“Depending upon the event, the mobile clinic can offer multiple screenings, including blood pressure, A1C, glucose, cholesterol, HIV, and Hepatitis C testing,” Stanbery says. “We focus on providing services to historically underserved communities, as well as ZIP codes with the greatest health disparities and most significant barriers to care within Hamilton County.”
In addition to providing community residents with health screenings on-site, those operating the Mobile Clinic work to connect those residents with other services when and as needed. This can include access to testing and treatment through Cempa’s downtown facility or referrals to medical specialists or services.
A Bright Future Ahead
The Mobile Clinic plays a vitally important role in providing care for those who otherwise lack access to health services. And the future of the clinic is bright, too! The next generation of Cempa’s Mobile Clinic will involve the actual next generation of Chattanooga residents.
“Looking to the future, we are excited to continue strengthening our service offerings to the community,” Stanbery says. “As a part of that, the Mobile Clinic will be utilized as a piece of the educational experience in Cempa’s partnership with the Future-Ready Institute at East Ridge High School. Because the mobile unit is a fully equipped clinic on wheels, this will offer students within the Future-Ready Institute’s program more real-world learning opportunities in the healthcare field. This is just another layer of services Cempa’s mobile unit is trying to offer the Chattanooga community.”
Cempa’s Mobile Clinic is one of many vital services Cempa provides to those in the greater Chattanooga area. To learn more about the Mobile Clinic, call (423) 269-7802.
