KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Doctors at the Family Health Clinic in Kalamazoo are on the move, literally. They’ve taken their office, put an engine in the front, wheels on the bottom and are traveling around town treating children in the Kalamazoo Public School system.
“We are so excited to unveil our brand new custom design mobile medical unit,” said Denise Crawford president and CEO of the Family Health Center. “What this is, is essentially a doctor’s office on wheels.”
The 300-square-foot clinic is outfitted with three exam rooms and a waiting area. There’s even a few toys lying around. Crawford said the clinic will be staffed with certified physicians and practitioners who will treat anything from a runny nose to diabetes. The new unit will be on the move outside Kalamazoo Public Schools.
“We want to ensure that all of our students has the access to quality healthcare,” said Crawford. “We know that when children are healthy, they do much better in school.”
The Family Health Clinic teamed up with the Community Foundation via The Learning Network and Kalamazoo Public Schools to provide this service. The goal is to provide excellent healthcare to all students, especially kids from low income families. On Thursday, soft launch was presented at Lincoln Elementary. The clinic’s manager Rico Earl recalled helping a father get his two young daughters treatment.
“He says ‘I wouldn’t have believed to be able to walk in on this unit, to be seen today and have these type of providers, this type of professionalism here at Kalamazoo Public Schools.’” said Earl retelling what the father said to him. “It grabbed my heart.”
FHC said the clinic will operate throughout the school year and doctors will be able to see up to 25 students a day.
“To have the ability to come and see the smiles and maybe have one of the kids come from walking up that may not have a smile and then when they leave they’re saying ‘I feel much better,’ my heart goes out to them,” said Earl.
