BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – North Star Health, which covers southeastern Vermont and New Hampshire with locations in Springfield, Chester, Ludlow, and Londonderry, Vt., and Charlestown, N.H., is expanding its accessibility with the launch of a new mobile services unit dubbed the Dr. Delores Barbeau Mobile Health Unit.
Since mid-July, the mobile unit has started weekly alternating deployments to Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, and will be stationed every other Tuesday in the parking lot of the Windham County Dental Center, at 53 Fairview Street in Brattleboro.
In Bellows Falls, the program started in late July, and the unit will operate on alternating Tuesdays at Fall Mountain Pharmacy, 78 Atkinson Street. This new service is the first step in allowing for an accessible, walk-in primary care unit to serve these communities directly and efficiently.
“We recognize that transportation gaps remain a barrier for some of our patients trying to reach our brick-and-mortar clinics,” Joshua R. Dufresne, CEO of North Star Health, said in a recent announcement.
“With the Dr. Delores Barbeau Mobile Health Unit coming directly to these towns, both of which lack a federally qualified health center, we are filling a distinct primary care gap. Also, a special thank-you to Sen. Sanders for all his advocacy to help us make this happen.”
The new mobile health unit takes pride in offering its services to anyone, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. However, patients with insurance are asked to bring their insurance card with them. Physician assistant Will Hoser and nurse Scott Belt are available for any walk-in primary care needs, including nonemergency medical care, during the scheduled times.
North Star Health provides a variety of services alongside the mobile health unit, including telehealth visits and school-based services. North Star also offers families financial assistance, help with transportation, free health education programs, and an array of services personalized to meet your individual needs and goals.
Additional North Star Health services include health maintenance and disease prevention, annual wellness visits and health screenings, immunizations and well-child visits, sick visits, chronic-illness care such as diabetes management, care coordination, and referrals to various specialists.
Please visit the various North Star Health locations at 100 River Street in Springfield, 1 Elm Street in Ludlow, 38 Vermont Route 11 in Londonderry, 250 CEDA Road in Charlestown, and the new Barbeau Mobile Health Unit.