Delta Care-a-van
New York Tech College of Osteopathic Medicine is committed to helping people in the Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta learn more about their health so they can live healthier lives. That’s why we created the Delta Care-a-van, which will serve to improve health outcomes, advance population health and create a culture of health in the communities of the Mississippi Delta.
The Delta Care-a-van is a mobile medical unit used to improve the quality of health through health services and education in rural, underserved communities in the Mississippi Delta Region. The Delta Care-a-van makes regular stops in communities throughout Arkansas and the Delta to provide preventive health services free of cost.
- Blood pressure screening
- Blood glucose screening
- Mental health screening
- Health education
- Telehealth services
- Referral to local healthcare providers and social services
Stay tuned for updates as health services and locations expand.
Please contact us as DeltaCareAVan@nyit.edu to discuss how we can serve your community through the Delta Care-a-van.
In May of 2018, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, located on the Jonesboro campus of Arkansas State University (NYITCOM-Arkansas), received a United States Department of Agriculture Delta Healthcare Service Grant for $828,748 to fund a mobile medical clinic aimed at delivering healthcare to underserved and rural populations in Arkansas and the Delta region. Funding was used to build the Delta Care-a-van, a 40-foot long mobile medical unit that is fitted with two examination rooms, an intake area and telemedicine capabilities.
The ranking of health outcomes in the Mississippi Delta region are among the lowest in the nation, creating a high demand for clinically trained rural physicians and health professionals. In an effort to increase access to healthcare, NYITCOM-Arkansas, in collaboration with Arkansas State University (A-State) College of Nursing and Health Professions, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Northeast Family Medicine Residency Program, and St. Bernard’s Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program, use the Delta Care-a-van to provide preventive screenings and other health services.
Community members who visit the mobile clinic receive health education and screenings for untreated chronic conditions including obesity, diabetes, and anxiety/depression, referrals to regional physicians for follow-up care as well as social services. The screenings help educate patients of their health status, educate them on how they can live healthier lives and make them aware of resources that are available in their communities.
The health services provided will give patients a view of their health status, and through conversations with healthcare providers, receive information that can help them improve their health and well-being.
NYITCOM-Arkansas was established to help alleviate the significant physician shortage facing Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta and to provide educational programs to help improve health outcomes in these targeted geographic areas. The Delta Care-a-van addresses both focal points of NYITCOM’s mission.
The health services provide hands-on clinical experience for medical students from NYITCOM-Arkansas, resident physicians from St. Bernard’s Medical Center and UAMS, and nursing and social work students from Arkansas State University. The services provided will expose students of health professions to rural clinical training early in their careers, allowing them to experience the joys, challenges and opportunities of rural practice.