LC Mobile Health – Lake County Health Board Vice President Dr. Deborah McCullough, Highland State Senator Dan Dernulc, Lake County Commissioner Michael Repay, and Lake County Health Officer Dr. Chandana Vavilala cut the ribbon on a new mobile health clinic. (Photo provided)
In Crown Point, Lake County’s Health Department recently unveiled its new state-of-the-art mobile clinic. “This is a very exciting time for Lake County as we envision the future of the mobile health clinic to reduce health disparities and to make healthcare accessible to one and all,” said Lake County Health Officer Dr. Chandana Vavilala. “The launch of our mobile health clinic is not just going to bring healthcare to our communities, it’s going to break down barriers and ensure that health will always be within reach no matter where you are throughout Lake County,” Dr. Vavilala said. Purchase of the mobile health unit was made possible by funding through the Health First Indiana (HFI) initiative established by the legislature a couple years ago. HFI was created to establish a public health infrastructure through a state and local partnership where services are delivered at the local level, a news release said.
“The Board of Commissioners is excited to welcome this important tool into Lake County,” said Lake County Commissioner Michael Repay. “This investment from the State of Indiana and Lake County will be paying dividends for years to come by providing health services where they are needed,” said Repay.
“By providing access to care, reducing health disparities and increasing our community engagement, we work to improve the health and safety of all Lake County,” said Michelle Arnold, Health First Indiana Program Director. “We can accomplish this by increasing access to healthcare by eliminating the need to travel long distances. With the mobile clinic we can reduce travel and cost barriers by making it more affordable for people to receive preventative care services,” Arnold added.
Lake County Council President Christine Cid said the mobile clinic will help provide vital access to the health department as it works to deliver on its mission to promote wellness and increase access throughout the county to services like immunizations. “The County Council supports the efforts by the health department to effectively use HFI funding to benefit Lake County residents with the goal of improving health overall,” Cid said.
