MHCA Partners In First Regional Mobile Health Forum
Springfield, IL – October 30. The Mobile Health Clinics Association (MHCA) was honored to participate in presenting the Illinois Mobile Healthcare Forum hosted by the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation. This first statewide mobile health conference was attended by nearly 140 healthcare professionals from throughout the state, listening to mobile healthcare providers share their stories and expertise and networking with programs that have a common interest in mobile health.
Says Susan Kerr, the Foundation's President, “Today, we believe that bringing groups together for the purpose of shared learning is vital – using a forum for the delivery of information, participants learn from each other, and we (the Foundation) gather feedback that will be used to design future areas of giving (for the Foundation).”
MHCA Advisory Board Chair, Dr. Anthony Vavasis (Director of HOTT in NYC) gave the Opening Keynote address and presided as moderator. “Mobile medical and dental care programs function as unique and essential elements of our American healthcare infrastructure, delivering vital prevention and treatment services to people for whom mainstream healthcare is inaccessible. The Forum is an opportunity for us as mobile health providers to greatly enhance our professional knowledge-base and create a valuable networking platform with our colleagues in Illinois.” Members of MHCA served as panelists and breakout session speakers including Amy Miller, Executive Director of the Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation in Chicago who spoke on program funding issues. “By obtaining detailed information on funding agencies, you can make your grant efforts more focused and efficient by targeting those funders who are most likely to accept your application” advised Amy.
The State of Illinois Department of Public Health supports three Wellness on Wheels vans. Addressing attendees, honorary speaker, Dr. Eric Whitaker (Director, State Department of Public Health) said that “mobile clinics serve as a bridge for many people to health care and, in some instances, it is a true lifeline for health care.”