Mobile maternity van aims to bring care to rural areas without access to care

Published 1 day ago• 1 minute read

PEORIA (25News Now) - Through a $1.5 million grant, the Meridian Health Plan of Illinois and the Centene Foundation are helping OSF Healthcare expand its on-call services over the next three years.

The grant funds a new mobile maternity care van, serving pregnant women in Marshall, Putnam, Bureau, Henry, Knox, LaSalle, and Woodford.

According to the March of Dimes, 34% of counties in the state are considered maternal health deserts.

The Meridian CEO, Cristal Gary, said the mobile clinic will provide prenatal services, pregnancy education, laboratory work, blood pressure monitoring, and breastfeeding support.

“There are so many women who may have to travel an hour or two to access an appointment,” said Gary. “Being able to make a mobile clinic that would come to them could make a huge difference in breaking down some of those barriers to care.”

Effective immediately, eligible patients can self-enroll online or be referred by their provider or health plan.

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