The Wayne Health Mobile Unit will unveil its new Americans with Disabilities-compliant van to provide health screenings and COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters during the June 7 Empower Brightmoor: Self Advocacy, Health Equity and Intersectionality Resource Fair.

The van, donated by Ford Motor Co., is also equipped with sensory item bins donated by the Autism Alliance of American.

“Having an ADA-complaint vehicle was essential to the growth of the Wayne Health Mobile Unit program,” said Phillip Levy, M.D., M.P.H., Wayne Health chief innovation officer and Wayne State University associate vice president of Translational Research. “We strive to remove barriers to care for the underserved populations in metropolitan Detroit. Because of Ford’s generosity, coupled with the DDI grant, we are able to further our community health outreach and impact to a new group of people. This is just our latest step to help make our community healthier overall.”

At the fair, which will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Brightmoor Connection Food Pantry, 16621 Lahser Road, Detroit, the Wayne Mobile Health Unit will offer vaccinations and boosters, as well as diabetes, cholesterol and kidney function screening; blood pressure screening; COVID-19 testing; HIV testing; mental health screenings; and referrals to health and care resources in the community. The fair is presented by Michigan Vaccination Partners and co-sponsored by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute and Disability Rights Michigan.

The Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute at Wayne State University recently received a three-year, $7 million grant to address health disparities related to COVID-19 in Michigan. The grant’s goal is to increase the number of vaccinated people with disabilities, along with their family members and caregivers; people who are homebound or isolated; people with transportation limitations; and people living in communities with a high social vulnerability index.

The statewide project involves the Wayne Health Mobile Unit, Integrated Biosciences Center, the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, the Office for Community Engaged Research and the Institute of Gerontology. Other partners include the Michigan State University Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council, Disability Rights Michigan and The Arc Michigan.

The team aims to improve understanding of disproportionately-affected populations and barriers to vaccination by cultivating and strengthening community-based partnerships, expanding and diversifying opportunities for vaccination, and improving and disseminating messages and education around vaccination.

Wayne Health launched a drive-through COVID testing program in March 2020 in Detroit and Dearborn within days of the first cases in Michigan through a partnership with WSU Health Sciences and ACCESS. Focused at first on health care workers and first responders, it expanded to other community members. To date, more than 63,000 people have received health care and/or been connected to social services through the mobile health program at more than 1,891 locations in the region.

The Wayne Health Mobile Unit represents the future of health care, providing “care your way, where you live and work,” with the long-term goal of improving population health outcomes.

Wayne Health is a non-profit, multi-specialty physician practice group affiliated with the Wayne State University School of Medicine. With nearly 400 physicians and advanced practice providers in 50 medical specialties, Wayne Health offers a full spectrum of care, from birth to end of life, for individuals and families throughout southeastern Michigan. Wayne Health multi-specialty clinics are conveniently located in Detroit, Dearborn, Southfield and Troy, with single-specialty clinics in Livonia (Psychiatry), Monroe (Dermatology) and Taylor (Ophthalmology). For more information, visit www.waynehealthcares.org.

To schedule an appointment with a Wayne Health provider at the Detroit Mack Health Center or another location, call 877 WAYNE-HC (877-929-6342). To learn more about Wayne Health, visit www.WayneHealthCares.org.

The Michigan Development Disabilities Institute is Michigan’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and home of Michigan’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities. The institute’s mission is to contribute to the development of inclusive communities and quality of life for people with disabilities and their families through a culturally sensitive, statewide program of interdisciplinary education, community support and services, and research and dissemination of information. For more information, visit https://ddi.wayne.edu/