The mobile medicine program, a collaborative endeavor between Gundersen Health System and St. Clare Health Mission, is receiving statewide recognition.
On Nov. 6, Gundersen and St. Clare were presented with the Global Vision Community Partnership Award by the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA). Established in 1993, the purpose of the honor is to provide recognition and public awareness of a community health initiative created in partnership with a WHA member that successfully addresses a community health need.
For the award, St. Clare received a $2,500 grant from the WHA, which will be used to maintain the Rotary Mobile Clinic, a full-scale, full-service family medicine unit utilized for the street medicine program.
Jason Larsen, executive director of St. Clare Health Mission, says the award recognizes the work of St. Clare, Gundersen’s family medicine residency program, and the mobile clinic coming together to serve La Crosse’s unsheltered population, as well as migrant workers in Gundersen’s rural service areas.
“Gundersen Health System and the Rotary Mobile Clinic really are the street medicine team, and we offer our services in partnership,” Larsen says. “It’s really a unique and incredible partnership, these three groups coming together.”
Larsen says St. Clare’s serves about 2,500 people at its free clinic each year, and about 600 are by way of the mobile unit, a number that’s on the rise.
“There’s something really special about going to folks in need on their turf and delivering healthcare from there,” Larsen says.
Robyn Borge, MD, program director of family medicine residency at Gundersen, says she’s grateful for the award, and for the partnership with St. Clare. It’s allowed her residents to get outside Gundersen’s walls to serve patients suffering from injuries, infections, acute illnesses and some chronic diseases. She’s hoping that eventually, the program will do even more.
“I hope we continue to expand our outreach and potentially serve other rural locations or underserved populations,” she says. “We’re hoping it just grows.”