In parts of New Jersey, there is a new answer for healthcare for the low income and often uninsured, the ecofriendly Highlands Health Van, part of the Zufall Health Center.
The goal of the Highlands Health Van is to provide primary and preventive medical and health services to adults and children. “Our health van gives us the ability to serve a rural population — particularly those laboring in local agriculture — whose income, long work hours and lack of transportation have made quality health care unattainable,” said Eva Turbiner, president and chief executive officer of Zufall Health Center. “By taking our services on the road, we felt a tremendous responsibility to provide a mobile treatment setting that was healthy for patients and our staff while minimizing any adverse environmental impacts.”
The Highlands Health Van is incredibly sustainable, and according to Zufall Health Center, the specs of this green health van are:
- 10 rooftop solar panels to produce and store electricity
- Cabinetry, paints, wall-and-floor coverings to have low-to-no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), natural microbial resistance and/or Forestry Stewardship Council certification
- Foot-controlled faucets to minimize water consumption
- Greywater recycling systems to maximize water utilization
- Naturally grown materials that are plentiful, renewable, or recycled
- Building supplies and components responsibly manufactured
The Zufall Health Center is a state-licensed, not-for-profit, private community health center and its new Highlands Health Van cost around $300,000 and was paid for by a grant from New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. The van will have a nurse practioner, a medical assistant, and a patient representative and it will have two examination rooms and a waiting area. The van is expected to treat 5,000 patients with 7,000 visits in the first two years. Wow. Also, if the patient can’t pay, they will still be seen. Wow. It is wonderful to think about how many people will receive medical care because of the Highlands Health Van and I love that they decided to be sustainable (and save money in the long run) by making the Highlands Health Van ecofriendly.
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