HHHN Mobile Health Van at the Historic Salem Courthouse Community Center
11/2021
A convenient new option for primary health care became available to Salem, and the nearby community, in June when the Hudson Headwaters Health Network mobile van started its weekly Monday and Tuesday rounds. Parked just outside the Historic Salem Courthouse and directly across the road from the Salem Central School, the fully equipped mobile clinic is certified by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The handicap accessible 40ft long RV has everything you would find at a brick and mortar clinic including two exam rooms, a restroom, a testing lab and a small waiting area.
In order to visit the mobile clinic you must make an appointment and be a member of HHHN. Same day appointments in case of injury or illness are also available. The van is staffed by a family nurse practitioner, a nurse and a medical assistant. Appointments can by made online at HHHN.org or by calling 518-623-0871. The hours are Monday and Tuesday from 7am to 4pm.
Hudson Headwaters Health network is a nonprofit network of community health centers which started about forty years ago. The HHH Foundation was able to raise money for the van through grants from the Charles R. Wood Foundation, The Stewarts/Dake Family , The Himoff Family and CDPHP. The van came from Farber Specialty Vehicles in Columbus, Ohio. It took about nine months for the custom interior and specialized exterior to be completed and cost about $400,000.
Although Glens Falls Hospital continues to have a clinic in Salem, it is open only two days a week and is very busy with its longtime patients. The added choice of the HHHN van, whose mission is to provide high quality care to underserved populations, is a much needed addition to the community, particularly those who have trouble traveling long distances for primary care. Services available at the van include primary care for adults and children, women’s health/gynecology, chronic disease management, preventive health screenings, vaccinations, blood work and vision and hearing tests.
The HHHN vision for the van is to provide patient centric health care in partnership with local organizations. This vision is realized with the help of the Historic Salem Courthouse which hosts the van and provides power, septic hookup and water and the Salem School which provides highly secure high speed internet. The Mary McClellan Hospital Foundation provided a grant to assist with the site requirements.
