SPHHP Receives Federal and Foundation Funds Supporting Mobile Health Unit
Attending an announcement of federal funding awarded to SPHHP to support a mobile health unit are (from left) Rep. Brian Higgins; SPHHP Dean Jean Wactawski-Wende; UB President Satish K. Tripathi; Brian Pilarski, executive director, Seneca Babcock Community Association; and Buffalo Common Council member Bryan Bollman.
More than half of the residents in Buffalo’s Seneca Babcock neighborhood don’t have a vehicle. That makes getting to medical appointments, and just about anything health care-related, challenging.
A community partnership between neighborhood leaders and SPHHP has big plans to break down the two biggest barriers residents face: transportation and access. This initiative will build on interprofessional education and practice opportunities across UB's health science schools.
The project received a major boost when U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins announced during a press conference $933,800 in federal funding for SPHHP to support a mobile health unit providing access and services to Seneca Babcock and other medically underserved communities in Erie, Niagara and surrounding Counties.
“UB’s mobile health clinic will build on existing partnerships to meet members of our community in greatest need where they live to provide comprehensive care. Thanks to this critical funding secured in the federal budget, we can eliminate barriers to care and make a long-term investment in a healthier future for our community,” Higgins said.
The Mother Cabrini Foundation earlier this year awarded SPHHP $600,000 for the mobile health program. That, coupled with the federal funding Higgins secured, will be enough to build and staff the unit, bringing to fruition a longtime goal to reach the community where they live.
“We have dreamed for many years about the possibility of setting up a free clinic in the neighborhood and other communities in need. The funding provided by Congressman Higgins will bring this medical mobile unit to our community to help break down some of those barriers,” SPHHP Dean Jean Wactawski-Wende said.
The mobile unit will feature rooms for medical exams and a patient interview area, where UB health sciences students and faculty will offer health screenings and prevention services, provide referrals to providers and help people navigate the health care system.