Neighborhood Health Expands Reach

Ink Spot Staff Report

With a new mobile-service unit, Neighborhood Health looks to expand its reach to underserved communities throughout the city. The health-care provider officially debuted the unit last Tuesday morning at its southeast Fort Wayne location on Paulding Rd.

“This mobile-services unit is an important expansion of our capabilities and will play a critical role in helping us continue to move our mission forward,” said Angie Zaegel, President and CEO of Neighborhood Health. “We are incredibly thankful to the many people who’s support and commitment made the development of this vehicle possible – and we are incredibly excited to begin taking it out into the community as we continue to remove the healthcare inequities too many in our community still suffer from.”

The WIFI-enabled Sprinter van features a private exam area, on-board access to patient electronic health records, and a generator for continuous heating, cooling and lighting. Neighborhood Health initially plans to use the unit in support of its ongoing COVID testing and vaccination efforts.

“Being able to make our services easier to access is how we continue to build a healthier and more connected community,” said Cindy Geisler, Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Neighborhood Health. “This is an exciting day for our organization, our patients and our community.”

Neighborhood Health is still negotiating with Fort Wayne Community Schools over the former L.C. Ward Education Center on Warsaw Street. Plans discussed last spring will turn the site into a comprehensive health facility for the neighborhood.