Mobile Health Unit adds Wal-Mart stops and school registration days to schedule

[JULY 23, 2004]  In an effort to reach more residents, the Rural Health Partnership is changing the Mobile Health Unit schedule to include stops at Wal-Mart, the Logan County Fair and Lincoln school registration days.

Beginning Monday, July 26, the Mobile Health Unit -- commonly called the "Corn Bus" -- will be available for services in the Wal-Mart parking lot from 1 to 3:30 p.m. This is a change to the regular schedule. Look for the Corn Bus at Wal-Mart every second and fourth Monday during those hours.

Also new this year, the Mobile Health Unit will be on-site for Lincoln school registration days to provide school and athletic physicals and immunizations for students.

"The health unit staff saw this as a way to provide a sort of 'one-stop shopping' experience for parents-guardians registering students for the new school year," said Kristi Lessen, director of the Healthy Communities Partnership. "The idea behind it is simple -- while at the school to register, at the same time take care of the immunization or physical examination requirements."

On Monday, Aug. 2, the Corn Bus will be at Lincoln Community High School from 9 a.m. to noon. Then, on Wednesday, Aug. 4, the mobile unit will split the day between Zion Lutheran School in Lincoln, where the hours will be 9 a.m. to noon, and Chester-East Lincoln, where services will be available from 12:30 to 4 p.m. On Thursday, Aug. 5, students of District 27 may take advantage of the mobile services all day, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Central School. And on Wednesday, Aug. 11, the afternoon hours from noon to 4 will be devoted to West Lincoln-Broadwell.

On Aug. 6, the mobile unit be on-site at the Logan County Fair from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in recognition of Senior Day. All regular services will be offered.

The Rural Health Partnership's Mobile Health Unit has been delivering essential health care services to the residents of rural Logan County since 1998. This unique program is supported by grants from the Illinois Department of Public Health, SIU School of Medicine and Logan County Board, along with generous donations from our community. In addition, proceeds from this year's 10th annual Fore-ALMH golf outing in June benefited the mobile unit.

For more information regarding the Rural Health Partnership, Mobile Health Unit or other Healthy Communities Partnership projects, please contact Kristi Lessen, director of the partnership, at [phone], ext. 409.

[News release]