02.24.2009 :: Mobile Unit Services to Grow
Prior Lake, Minnesota
New services will become available through the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Mobile Unit. In addition to mobile mammography which the Mobile Unit has provided for the past year, in 2009 dental, diabetes, and lead screenings will be offered. The SMSC plans to provide these new services in addition to mammography by working with health departments in both reservation and urban Indian communities across the state.
Dental Services - During dental deployments, a dentist, hygienist, and dental assistant will see patients for routine check ups, cleanings, polishings, preventative treatments, sealants, fluoride treatments, debridement, and oral cancer screenings. These services will supplement existing dental care at Indian Health Service and other clinics. In the fall of 2008 the SMSC introduced Dental Services through the Mobile Unit by its initial trip to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa. During a two-day trip, dental staff saw 35 patients for treatment. "We were happy to be able to help lighten the patient load of the local clinic,” said SMSC dentist Dr. Julie Clouse who led the trip. "It is important for everyone to have access to good dental care.
Diabetes Management - A board-certified endocrinologist and a diabetes educator will travel with the Mobile Unit to perform screenings, education, and assessment of patients. Diabetes is an epidemic in Indian communities across the country. “We hope to help reach patients that might not always have easy access to medical providers,” said SMSC Wellness Administrator Joanna Bryant.
Lead Screening - A medical provider and a nurse will utilize the Mobile Unit to conduct screenings for lead exposure in children. This service may also include a well-child visit. "With the Mobile Unit going to other Native American communities, especially those that are in remote areas, tribal members will be more likely to get preventative health screenings which will allow early detection of health problems and hopefully improve their health," said SMSC Health Administrator James Lien.
Background
The high rates of cancer of all types in Native communities as well as the need for on-site services to improve health screening rates for earlier detection of problems led to the development of the Mobile Unit. The latest technology allows for the mammograms to be stored electronically aboard the Mobile Unit and then downloaded and read upon return to the SMSC. Results are then sent directly to patients and their medical providers.
The Mobile Unit offers digital mammography which features less compression and therefore less discomfort and better “reads.” During its first year of service, hundreds of patients received health screenings and services from the Mobile Clinic at the following locations: the Shakopee Women’s Prison, the Native American Community Clinic, the Indian Health Board, Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Upper Sioux Community, the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure event (Brainerd), the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Red Lake Nation, and a Homeless Mammography Project in downtown Minneapolis.
Through a cooperative agreement with the Shakopee Women’s Prison the Mobile Unit provides services to inmates about once a month. The Mobile Unit provides services to SMSC Community members and employees during monthly health screening events.
The Mobile Unit has dual purposes. As a Mobile Clinic it has two radiology suites, one for mammography and one for chest x-rays. These suites are fitted with state of the art digital systems that provide screening for breast and lung cancers. The remainder of the Mobile Unit is fitted with a laboratory to screen patients for prostate cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses. There is a larger open space, which can serve multiple functions such as a temporary dental clinic or an emergency medical treatment area. It can also function as an Incident Command Unit, with space and technical capabilities for tactical planning for coordinating services in case of a large-scale emergency.
The Mobile Unit’s emergency response component includes radio, telephone, satellite, and visual recording of the emergency scene as a part of the command center functions. During the Republican National Convention, the Mobile Unit was used as the Mobile Incident Command Center by the Saint Paul Fire Department. It has also been used by a local SWAT Team and the Morrison County’s Sheriff’s Department for training.
"The emergency response component of this unit will allow the SMSC to help out in the event of a local or regional crisis," said SMSC Emergency Services Director Jim Muelken. "We are always looking at ways to be of assistance to the larger community if we are needed."
For more information about a visit from the Mobile Clinic, contact Mobile Clinic Coordinator Christine Michael at 952-233-2964.
For more information about the Emergency response component of the Mobile Clinic contact SMSC Emergency Services Director Jim Muelken at 952-233-1077.
