Taney County Health Department to Soon Roll Out Mobile Unit

Money from a grant to be used to develop a mobile unit.

The full story from Chris Carlson of the Branson Tri-Lakes News is below:

The Taney County Health Department recently received a Health Disparity Grant, which is helping to provide a greater reach for those in need of care.

Director of the Taney County Health Department Lisa Marshall said in her quarterly update during the Monday, Sept. 26, Taney County Commission meeting in Forsyth, the grant has helped the health department to purchase a van and is in the process of getting it set up. 

“The grant is related to COVID dollars, so we will be offering the COVID vaccine and will have antigen tests on board the van,” Marshall said. “But we plan to use this service long term so our goal is to be able to take as many of our services mobile as possible.”

Marshall said the van is in the process of being set up, and the health department hopes to utilize it soon.

“We are in the process of getting it wrapped, set up and getting equipment and supplies purchased so that we can have it out in the community soon,” Marshall said. “Our intent is to have it out in the community and to take it out where we think some folks may have trouble getting to us. We know transportation may be a barrier for some of our clients.”

Marshall said the vehicle will also help the health department to increase their visibility within the community.

“We want to be sure the community knows we’re out there,” Marshall said. “We discovered through COVID and some other work, that some of our community didn’t know we existed. They didn’t know Taney County had a health department. So we hope to use it in that fashion as well.”