Pocahontas Memorial Hospital received an early Christmas gift December 21 – the delivery of a brand new medical van.
A mobile medical van has long been a wish list item for PMH, and with the distribution of CARES Act money earlier in 2020 for COVID-19 relief, it became a reality.
The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund targeted rural distribution and allocated $10 billion for Rural Health Clinics, rural acute care general hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and Community Health Center sites located in rural areas to assist in addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical van was immediately placed into service to assist the hospital with caring for patients during the pandemic, providing mobile testing and future public vaccination efforts.
The van went into production in October 2020. It boasts two rooms, with one fully equipped medical exam room. The exterior is wrapped in a beautiful Pocahontas County scene, provided by the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The van was equipped and designed by Magnum Mobile in Phoenix, Arizona.
“This is an exciting time for us at PMH,” said Chief Executive Officer Mary Beth Barr. “Through the concerted efforts of our PMH COVID-19 Task Force, we were fortunate to obtain this mobile medical van unit to assist us in meeting the healthcare needs of our community. The van will certainly enhance our ability to provide primary COVID care in a timely manner in remote areas in our county.”