The Baystate Health Wellness on Wheels (WOW) Bus has arrived at Baystate Health and is set to hit the road in June 2021.
What is the WOW Bus?
The WOW Bus is the result of a $750,000 TD Ready Challenge grant from the TD Bank Group to support the mobile preventative health clinic. The bus team will work with the community to provide health screenings and education to low-to-moderate income and at-risk populations throughout western Massachusetts.
As the new mobile classroom of our academic health center, the bus creates a community-centered model for interdisciplinary education. We are training the next generation of healthcare professionals to see themselves as community partners by bringing care directly into the community. Health professions students from the UMass Medical School-Baystate Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH), Western New England University College of Pharmacy, and Westfield State University will be among the first to support these efforts.
“We want to help change the world and the WOW Bus is our vehicle to do so,” shared Kevin Hinchey, MD, Chief Education Officer, Baystate Health. “This bus allows us to educate the future of healthcare providers in western Massachusetts as we bring care directly into our communities. It is a win-win for both Baystate Health and the greater community.”
The WOW Bus team has already been working in the community before the arrival of the bus, collaborating with community groups to bring COVID-19 education and testing to Springfield residents. Community partners have included the New North Citizens’ Council, Square One, Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services, and the Springfield Housing Authority.
To learn more, visit BaystateHealth.org/WOWBus.