St. Luke's HealthStar Mobile Unit to Provide Health Services at Mosser Village Family Center
ALLENTOWN, PA. (10-10-2008) -- State Representative Karen Beyer, Allentown Mayor Edward Pawlowski and officials from St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network celebrated the opening of a St. Luke's health clinic at Mosser Village Family Center in Allentown.
The Mosser Village Family Center (MVFC) provides social, recreational and human service activities to neighborhoods located in East Allentown. MVFC has established itself as the primary social services provider in east Allentown since its founding in 1999.
Neighbors have come to rely on the clothing and food banks at the center, recreational opportunities for children and young adults, computer and other learning services as well as the many social activities conducted at the center, said Adrienne Maio, MVFC Executive Director. The current center, opened in 2004, is located at 614 Carlisle Street, Allentown at the former Keck Park Swimming Pool House, which had been vacant for 12 years before the City of Allentown renovated the facility for MVFC.
“The opening of the St. Luke's health clinic adds another layer to the quality programs and services offered at the Mosser Village Family Center,” said Mayor Pawlowski. “Its location is important to the economically-disadvantaged residents of the neighborhood. We are awfully fortunate to have St. Luke's and the Mosser Village Family Center serving the needs of the people of the City of Allentown.”
A $25,000 grant from the Department of Community & Economic Development was obtained through State Representative Karen Beyer to initiate the program and provide health services to the center.
"The $25,000 grant that was awarded to Mosser Village is another great example of government and hospitals working together to provide easy access to healthcare for our communities here in the Lehigh Valley," said Representative Beyer. "I am delighted that my office was able to facilitate this important venture. I hope the residents of East Allentown are greatly assisted by services that St. Luke's provides."
St. Luke's HealthStar van will provide flu shots, cholesterol checks, HIV testing, diabetes tests, blood pressure screenings, hepatitis C testing, wellness checks, sick visits, sports, driver's license and work physicals, according to Bonnie Coyle, MD, director of St. Luke's Department of Community Health. Both children and adults will be treated.
“St. Luke's mission is to provide compassionate care to all individuals, regardless of ability to pay,” said Dr. Coyle. “We have gone a step further than most health care systems by proactively seeking out those who most need care, but aren't able to access services, through a mobile medical and dental program. We have learned that to effectively improve health status, we need to have a strong outreach component, taking services to where they are most needed in the Valley. The Mosser Village Family Center has long recognized the need to provide quality health care services in the local neighborhood, and St. Luke's is proud to partner with Mosser Family Center to achieve this important goal,” she concluded.
Initially the van will visit the community center once a week for four hours and will increase time spent at Mosser as demand for services increases.
