St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital dedicated its new Ministry in Motion mobile health unit on Thursday evening. A grant from the Christy-Houston Foundation made the new vehicle possible.

Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital President and CEO Gordon Ferguson said the hospital has been offering this service to the community for more than three-years and that the old unit was becoming unpredictable. He told WGNS News . . . 

The unit travels to various schools throughout the county four days a week providing access to pediatric primary care and adult/pediatric behavioral health services. The unit also travels to various homeless shelters and community centers across the county once a month providing free adult lab screenings.

Ferguson noted, "The new unit will further invigorate the program, increase the services that St. Thomas Rutherford provides and help to better serve our neighbors.” 

The Mobile Health Unit Collaborative, a partnership between Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, Murfreesboro City Schools and the Rutherford County School system. It’s reflective of Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital’s mission of helping people live healthier lives with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. 

New Ministry in Motion Mobile Health Unit Facts:

• The original Mobile Health Unit hit the road in July 2010
• More than 1,600 children and families were served during the first year of operation
• The Mobile Health Unit collaborative has served approximately 9,000 community members since 2010
• The new Ministry in Motion Mobile Health Unit houses 328 square feet of space
• The Mobile Health Unit’s team facilitates monthly screenings for uninsured adults at various locations across Rutherford County.  Those locations include:  The Journey Home, Greenhouse Ministries, Smyrna-LaVergne Food Bank, LaVergne Senior Center, Saint Clair Street Senior Center, First Baptist Church East Castle Street, Linebaugh Public Library-Smyrna Branch, Wherry Housing Community, Habitat For Humanity, Franklin Heights Family Resource Center, The Jackson Motel and Franklin Road Church of Christ.  These screenings act as a point of entry into health care for our communities’ most vulnerable.
• Dental services for the uninsured represent a significant need in the community; the new Ministry in Motion unit is equipped with a dental chair in the front exam room, allowing for additional partnerships in this effort. 

For more information about the Ministry in Motion Mobile Health Unit, please visit www.saintthomashealth.com/ministryinmotion or call (615) 396-4693.