Driving Wellness Across the Region

That’s the idea behind Health on Wheels, a collaborative initiative among UB’s health sciences schools that operates a fleet of mobile health units serving neighborhoods around Western New York. Medical, dental, occupational and physical therapy, social work, nutrition, athletic training and pharmacy students, working under the supervision of faculty members, are on board to provide free health screenings, education and preventive care to those who otherwise may lack access to these services.

The main unit is the most comprehensive and the largest at 45 feet long. Two smaller “fast vans” are used for pop-up events at community centers and churches. One of these vans can also transport students to the larger unit; the other serves as an office on wheels.

The units provide a rotating selection of health services, including nutrition education, smoking cessation support, physical activity promotion, education on how to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and information on environmental health issues like lead, mold and air pollution. Additional services include stress management workshops, substance abuse prevention information, and referrals and support for social services such as housing and health insurance. Organizers are now collaborating with community partners to plan a “health rodeo” event that brings together multiple mobile units.

The initiative benefits both residents and the next generation of health professionals. By working side by side across disciplines in underserved neighborhoods throughout the region, students are gaining real-world experience tackling real-world needs.

Said Jean Wactawski-Wende, dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions, at the operation’s ribbon-cutting last August: “It’s where we hoped health care could go.”