By Staff
MOBILE MEDICINE Henry Granger, president of the board of the Greater Meridian Health Clinic, and Mashanda Adams, medical clerk, demonstrate wheelchair access to the new medical mobile unit as dental hygienist Susan Creighton looks on. The vehicle is part of a partnership between the clinic and the school districts of Kemper and Noxubee counties to provide health screenings for students. PHOTO BY PAULA MERRITT / THE MERIDIAN STAR
By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
Nov. 16, 2002
Increasing its effort to bring medical services to rural families, the Greater Meridian Health Clinic, Inc., unveiled its new medical mobile unit on Friday.
Wilbert Jones, chief executive officer of the clinic, said the vehicle is part of a partnership between the clinic and the school districts of Kemper and Noxubee counties. The school boards of both districts approved of using the mobile clinic to provide health screenings for students.
Emanuel Beaty, superintendent of the Kemper County School District, was at the health clinic for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The 37-foot mobile unit, designed to deliver full medical and dental services, will be taken to Kemper and Noxubee County schools on Tuesday for additional ribbon cutting ceremonies. Jones said the first screenings will be held Jan. 3, at one of the neighboring school districts.
Jones also said the clinic budgeted to buy the mobile unit for $252,000. It was custom built in Ohio by the Braun Corporation, which is based in Texas. Although the vehicle will be used to target children's needs, he said it will also be used for other patients.
The layout, design and color scheme for the inside of the medical unit was done by a team of medical allied health professionals at Greater Meridian Health Clinic headed by Rosalyn Gambrell, DDS.
Gambrell said she worked with mobile medical units about 20 years ago and is glad to see the concept return.
The vehicle is wheelchair accessible and is equipped with dental chairs that can be converted into examining tables.
The outside graphic design and color scheme was done by Barbara Kidd, director of creative services for Kidd &Company, LLC. The mobile unit is purple, with large photographs of children on both sides and original artwork of children from a painting by Carl Owens, and artist from Atlanta.
Across the sides of the vehicle are the words, "Empowering Patients for a Lifetime of Good Health."