MERIDEN — The city’s Department of Health and Human Services will host the Hartford HealthCare Community Health Program on Oct. 26, offering a variety of screening and immunization services free of charge. The health fair is held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the clinic, 165 Miller Street, where the Connecticut Food Shares mobile food pantry will also visit.
“We realize that there are many infectious diseases that are vaccine-preventable,” said Lea Crown, director of the Department of Health and Human Services. “We encourage people to stay up to date on their immunizations.”
What is neighborhood health?
Melinda Lodge, senior program manager for community health, explained that Hartford HealthCare has hosted large-scale COVID-19 testing and vaccination events throughout the pandemic, including ongoing collaboration with the Wallingford Hispanic community
However, Lodge said they recognize they are still missing “a part of our community” that has additional barriers to accessing health care. They have launched mobile units to bridge this gap by hosting screening and immunization clinics at trusted and conveniently located local organisations.
Neighborhood Health currently serves New Haven, Hartford and Fairfield counties. They are typically deployed to trusted community locations with high foot traffic, such as soup kitchens, schools, group housing facilities and faith-based organizations.
“We’re providing affordable, convenient and equitable health care, and it’s important to have that service in these community locations because these are the places people trust,” Lodge said. “A lot of people may encounter barriers, such as a lack of trust in healthcare professionals, or if they have transportation barriers, they may not be able to get to a typical healthcare facility. So, integrating ourselves into these accessible, trustworthy Community location is very important.”
What services are available?
Neighborhood Health provides services through its CareVans clinics and health fairs.
Lodge explained that CareVans clinics can provide a variety of emergency and preventive care, such as treating colds, stomach aches and minor burns. They also offer medical screenings and lab tests such as blood pressure, blood sugar, urinalysis, A1C, cholesterol, and hemoglobin. When it comes to vaccines, CareVans offers tetanus, pneumonia, shingles, hepatitis B, meningitis, Gardasil, polio, fly, measles, mumps, rubella and COVID-19 vaccines.
CareVans staff can also help make referrals to social services and set up follow-up care. CareVan clinics are typically housed within their partner organizations.
Lodge said the health fairs are more specialized, limited in number and offer more screenings and immunizations. She explained that health fairs typically attract large numbers of visitors, so they focus on the highest needs of the community.
Who runs the clinic?
Staff at the two CareVan clinics and Health Fairs include an advanced practice physician, a registered nurse, a medical assistant, care manager, two registered assistants and a public safety officer, Lodge said.
What happened to Meriden?
The Meriden Neighborhood Health Fair is held Thursday, October 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the City Department of Health and Human Services, 165 Miller Street. Crown said the clinic will be located on the second floor of the youth conference room.
Available screenings include blood pressure and blood sugar. Available immunizations include tetanus, pneumonia, shingles, hepatitis B, meningitis, Gardasil, polio and MMR. Vaccines and screenings are only available to patients 18 years of age or older.
The Meriden Health Fair coincides with the Connecticut Food Share Mobile Pantry parked outside the health department every other Thursday. As a result, Crown said “the dominoes were aligned” for CareVan’s first visit to the Meriden Health Department.
Crown estimates the mobile pantry serves 150 residents at a time, so health fairs provide those customers with an opportunity to get vaccinated and are “prime time to reach key populations.”
“Adults are falling behind on vaccinations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when many health care providers are not delivering services in person and many are operating remotely,” Crown said. “This is a very difficult time for people to Good opportunity to get vaccinated.”
How much does the service cost?
Lodge said there are no out-of-pocket costs to receive services through Neighborhood Health Centers. According to their website, they accept a variety of insurances and customers without insurance will not be charged.
“Our mission is to make sure we provide these services equitably to anyone, regardless of whether they have insurance, regardless of their socioeconomic status, education or ability to pay. Regardless of the different barriers they face, we want to make sure we can Overcome those barriers and give them the services they deserve,” Lodge said.
What about the flu vaccine?
Crown says it has identified a number of cases of influenza across the city. To help curb the situation, Meriden Health and Human Services will host five nighttime flu vaccine clinics through the end of the year.
The clinic is open by appointment only from October 10 to 24, November 7 to 21 and December 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. They will provide vaccines to children and adults.
Crown says they accept health insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid, Aetna, Connecticut and Cigna. There is a $20 co-pay for uninsured residents, and vaccinations are free for children. Residents can call the health department clinic to make an appointment.
To learn more about Neighborhood Health and other clinic locations, click here: https://hartfordhealthcare.org/health-wellness/neighborhood-health
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