The Berrien County Health Department is hoping to acquire a mobile medical unit so it can better serve residents who are far away from its offices.
The Berrien County Board of Commissioners on Thursday authorized the department to apply for a $125,000 grant from Wayne State University for the unit. Berrien County Health Officer Guy Miller tells us because of the spread-out nature of communities throughout the county, the department has trouble reaching some residents.
“Really, Southwest County,” Miller said. “New Buffalo, Three Oaks, and kind of the Sawyer area are kind of isolated from a lot of our, at least, health department services down there. So, we wanted to figure out a good way to get down to that area and it’s just been kind of difficult finding a building or finding space.”
Miller says that’s where having a mobile unit comes in. It would be an RV loaded with equipment to offer medical services on the go.
“That would have a generator, refrigerator, a freezer for our vaccination storage, as well as a bathroom and an exam room.”
Miller says, for example, some vaccines have to be frozen up until the moment they’re administered. This would help with that. The mobile unit would need a restroom so urinalysis could be conducted.
The unit the health department has in mind would cost about $250,000, so twice the amount of the grant, but Miller says he wants to seek additional grants so it doesn’t cost the county anything. He says many health departments have such units, and he’s been talking with them about how to best equip and use the vehicle.
