Care-A-Van
Sometimes the people who need health care the most don’t seek it out because they don’t know how they’re going to pay the bill. Bon Secours aims to alleviate some of these concerns by delivering dignified care to vulnerable populations, namely the poor, the dying and the underserved, in alignment with its mission.
Bon Secours’ mobile health clinic, the Care-A-Van, helps bridge the gap by providing access to health care services and medicines for uninsured and underinsured patients at no charge. Founded in 1994 with a focus on children’s immunizations, the Care-A-Van has grown through the years and now provides free primary and preventive care to children and adults five days a week.
“For nearly three decades, the Care-A-Van has served as a medical home for uninsured patients through partnerships with local churches and nonprofit organizations, and we continuously strive to earn and maintain the trust of our patients by providing consistent, quality and compassionate health care,” says Paula Young, M.D., medical director of Community Health Access for Bon Secours Richmond and Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital.
The Care-A-Van began conducting virtual visits during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure continuity of care by providing uninterrupted service despite stay-at-home orders. However, virtual visits for this population also solved some challenges and eliminated any potential barriers to care created by a lack of transportation or an inability to take time off of work. Virtual visits remain an important part of the care model of the Care-A-Van. Having accommodated more than 14,000 patient visits in 2022, the Care-A-Van now has a new permanent home at the recently opened Bon Secours Community Health Clinic, Manchester, and also continues to offer acute care services at church partner sites.
Community Health Clinic Ribbon Cutting
Located at 2301 Everett Street in Manchester, the new two-story, 8,000-square-foot Community Health Clinic at the Center for Healthy Living officially opened its doors on April 3 and provided care to more than 50 patients on its first day. The goal of the facility is to offer a brick-and-mortar spot where uninsured and underinsured patients can always find access to primary care, chronic disease management, and women’s and behavioral health services. (Bon Secours also launched another outpatient walk-in health and wellness clinic inside the East End Medical Office Building earlier this year.)
“The opening of the Community Health Clinic is a major milestone for Bon Secours’ compassionate ministry and for our underserved community in Richmond,” says Becky Clay Christensen, executive director of community health for Bon Secours Richmond. “We could not be more excited to bring these critical health care services to some of our most vulnerable populations and to have a new space to further our important community health work.”
Equipped with eight exam rooms, an on-site lab, collaborative office space and a behavioral wellness room, the new Community Health Clinic in Manchester will expand Bon Secours’ ability to promote well-being, provide care and make connections to sustainable resources.
Community Health Clinic exam room
“This new location allows us to provide the same compassionate care our patients know and trust, and it allows us to better manage our patients’ chronic diseases in a state-of-the-art clinical setting outfitted with the latest medical technology,” Dr. Young adds. “We look forward to welcoming our established and new patients here at their new medical home.”
The Care-A-Van and the Bon Secours Community Health Clinic are made possible through the generous contributions of donors and partnership support. To learn more, visit bonsecours.com.
