Care-A-Van -- Benton exterior
Care-A-Van -- West Frankfort exterior
Care-A-Van -- Interior
Care-A-Van -- Interior drawing

March 23, 2006

SIU Med School and Franklin County High Schools

Introduces Mobile School Health Clinic

The Care-A-Van, a mobile school health clinic, has arrived and will begin serving students at two Franklin County high schools this spring, thanks to grants totaling $425,000 from the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF).

The mobile clinic will serve students at West Frankfort and Benton high schools, which have a combined enrollment of approximately 1,200. It will provide primary care, minor injuries treatment, school/sports physicals, immunizations, wellness and mental health counseling.

"Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation works to improve the health of all Illinois children. By identifying and funding solid initiatives designed and implemented by partners like SIU School of Medicine, we will begin to see improvement here in Franklin County, as well as throughout the rest of Illinois," said Susan Kerr, ILCHF president.

The 40-foot Care-A-Van is equipped with two exam rooms (one a counseling/exam room), a small laboratory and wireless Internet connection. The two exterior designs, one on each side, were created by art classes at the high schools. The van will be parked in each high school’s parking lot for two days every week. It will be stored in a new garage, yet to be built.

The project was organized by Dr. Penny Tippy, professor of family and community medicine and director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, based in Carbondale. Services will be provided by Tippy and a team of SIU medical school staff -- a physician's assistant, nurse, licensed clinical social worker and rotating resident physicians.

Parental permission for treatment by the Care-A-Van staff will be requested for each student. If students require treatment for severe injuries, chronic illnesses or pregnancy, referrals will be made to community physicians. The Care-A-Van staff will always work to coordinate care with students' primary care physicians. Services will be billed to insurance plans or financial assistance programs.

"This mobile clinic will allow both students and teachers convenient access to health care. Because of the convenience, both students and teachers will lose less classroom instructional time," said Kelly Stewart, superintendent of Benton High School District. "We are thrilled to be a part of such a unique, forward thinking collaboration. In the words of Helen Keller, 'Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.'"

"A great deal of planning has gone into this initiative so the Care-A-Van can positively affect the health of our students, which in turn will make them better students," said George Hopkins, superintendent of West Frankfort Schools. "Dr. Tippy, who attended West Frankfort schools herself, and her staff have inspired us with their dedication. We thank the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation and all who gave time and energy to provide this van."

The Care-A-Van was built by Lifeline of Columbus, Ohio. The vehicle is 12 feet 10 inches tall and 8 feet 6 inches wide. It weighs 26,000 pounds and has two fuel tanks that hold 100 gallons of diesel fuel and an 12-kilowatt diesel generator providing the power needed inside. The Care-A-Van is built to commercial specifications, but feels more like a physician's office rather than an recreational vehicle because it is built on a Freightliner chassis. Lifeline's first mobile medical clinic, completed in 1987, is still in use and on the road.

"As the only mobile school health center in the state, the Care-A-Van represents a progressive approach to keeping teens healthy by providing medical and mental health services in a convenient, teen friendly environment," said Tippy. “We appreciate the foresight of the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation in awarding this grant.”

The SIU medical school staff, lead by Tippy, started the mobile school health clinic initiative over three years ago. During that time, an additional $250,000 of funding has been contributed by the Illinois Department of Human Services – School Health Division, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn, and the SIU School of Medicine's Rural Health Initiative for the planning and development of the mobile clinic. All three of these organizations work to improve health care in rural and medically underserved areas in Illinois.

- 30 -

Future Media Coverage: Because of the private nature of medical visits, requests for any visit to the Care-A-Van in the future must be arranged in advanced. Call the Office of Public Affairs, SIU School of Medicine, at least 24-hours in advance at 217-545-2155 or email them at publicaffairs@siumed.edu. Thank you for your cooperation.