Elaine Mitropoulos
Comox Valley Echo
Monday, December 22, 2008
In an effort to promote access to health care among the homeless, a mobile clinic will soon be making its medical rounds on Valley roads.
“This will be the only (mobile clinic) that exists west of Calgary. There’s nothing like it in B.C.,” said Dawn to Dawn Action on Homelessness Society board member Helen Boyd, who spearheaded the project.
“It’s not in any way trying to duplicate services but it’s to build access so that people don’t get lost in navigating the health-care system or other support services.”
Just like a fixed-site clinic, Boyd said the mobile clinic would be equipped with health-care professionals, medical supplies and an examination area.
To date, two doctors, nine nurses, a nurse practitioner and a pharmacist have volunteered their expertise, Boyd said, adding CARE-A-VAN drivers would also be skilled in mental health and addiction outreach work.
“They are all volunteering their time so their salaries alone would be $110,000 worth of services in-kind,” Boyd said.
As well as being able to diagnose conditions like diabetes or hypertension, Boyd said she anticipated seeing a lot of the common ailments disenfranchised people faced, like foot problems and pneumonia.
Donated by Barry Willis of Sunwest RV and Sunwest Auto centres, the mobile clinic is slated to launch early next year. Boyd said the clinic would be deployed three times a week, although more days could be added in the future.
In the meantime, Willis and his crew of volunteer mechanics have gutted the recreation vehicle and are in the process of renovating it into an all-seasons clinic.
“It’s a project and a half, that’s for sure. We’re in the reassembling stage right now and also trying to figure out the unique things that are required that aren’t common in a recreational vehicle,” Willis said.
Willis admitted that at first the project daunted him but it was Boyd’s passion to help the Valley’s homeless that inspired his commitment.
“I’m a mechanic and car dealer. I don’t know how to help (homeless) people,” Willis said.
“Sometimes you just don’t know what road to go down but I’ve been looking to do something a little more substantial (in the community) and along came Helen into our lives.”
Boyd, a registered nurse and mental health counselor, said the CARE-A-VAN project came about after she spent a winter providing outreach services to the Valley’s homeless.
It was then that she fully realized their health-care needs were not being met for several reasons, including stigma, a lack of Valley doctors and transportation barriers.
She said the CARE-A-VAN was modeled after a project in Toronto, and since she first proposed the service in the Valley, there had been an outpour of community contributions.
So far, more than $200,000 in in-kind services had been donated to the project, but Boyd said funds to run the clinic on a day-to-day basis would need to be forthcoming.
Those interested in contributing are asked to make a donation at any of the three Coastal Community Credit Union branches in the Valley.
Donors should ask that their contribution be deposited to the Dawn to Dawn community partner investment savings account.
Cheques can also be mailed to 6C-821 Shamrock, Comox, V9M 3P6.
emitropoulos@comoxvalleyecho.com