LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Three new mobile health units aim to help change and improve health outcomes across the state.
Kentucky State University launched a mobile unit in Hazard on Friday, Oct. 25 and on Thursday, Oct. 24 they launched one in Louisville.
The new mobile health unit is bringing health care to neighborhoods in need.
“The big dream we are projecting is to couple the concept of food as medicine,” said Avinash Tope, lead scientist for the KSU mobile health units.
He explains the types of tests the mobile health unit will conduct.
“A set of tests called for metabolic syndrome. It is a cluster of five different parameters. One happens to be abdominal obesity, which is not necessarily bloodwork-related, but a measurement of abdominal obesity,” Tope said.
Other tests also include hypertension, high blood pressure, body fat index, cholesterol and more.
He said the tests are just one part of the overall health paired with the concept of food as medicine.
“Where the prescribers may have prescribed there and done their part of offering a prescription for a given health condition. But we believe that is half the equation. The other half of the equation is dependent on lifestyle changes, lifestyle modifications or lifestyle choices,” Tope said.
He explains those choices are dependent on diet.
“And we would like to couple up what the physicians have done with their prescription on a patient and help the patient with the nutrition education program and essentially complement one another,” Tope said.
With support from community partners, KSU is hoping to improve access to health.
“Many barriers that result in a person being unable to access health care. Some, underserved underinsured, have no insurance, unaware of resources available to them, or simply have no way to get them. That is why we are bringing health care directly to those in need through the mobile units,” said Koffi Akakpo, president of KSU.
The third mobile unit will launch soon. It will be in western Kentucky.
It’s open to anyone, and no insurance is required. Dates and times of the mobile unit will eventually be posted on social media sites so people can plan accordingly.