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Vehicle Brings Full Exam Room, Blood Draw Area and Prenatal Ultrasounds to McKeesport, Charleroi, Braddock and Other Underserved Communities

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) recently unveiled the network’s new 37-foot OB-GYN mobile health clinic which will bring vital obstetrics and gynecologic care services to underserved communities throughout the Pittsburgh region.

AHN clinical leadership, community officials, and residents gathered Tuesday morning, January 14 at the Carnegie Library of McKeesport for a ceremonial ribbon cutting event and tours of the new mobile unit.

The mobile health clinic, overseen by the AHN Women’s Institute in close collaboration with First Steps and Beyond (FSB), is slated to offer services at the McKeesport Library in early March, and will make additional stops throughout the year at locations in Charleroi, Clairton, Braddock and McKees Rocks.

"AHN is committed to expanding access to women's health care, particularly in areas that are historically underserved or have limited access to maternity specialists," said Marcia Klein-Patel, MD, PhD, Chair of AHN Women's Institute. “We’re grateful to the clinicians and community partners who make this work possible, and we’re confident that this state-of-the-art mobile health clinic will bring comprehensive OB-GYN care closer to home for many of our patients.”

The clinic features a blood draw area, bathroom, consultation area, OB/GYN exam room, and an ultrasound machine for both diagnostic care and prenatal scans.

The vehicle’s 225 square feet of clinical space gives ample room for physicians, advanced practice providers and nurses to provide complete prenatal and gynecologic care.

The mobile health van was funded primarily by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration, secured through the office of former U.S. House Rep. Connor Lamb.

The grant was issued jointly to AHN and First Steps and Beyond, a community-led organization established by AHN that works to improve health outcomes for women, children and newborns across Allegheny County.

“When expectant mothers don’t have regular access to OB-GYN care, they face higher risks of poor health outcomes, including increased chances of preterm birth, low birth weight, and other complications that can impact their health and the health of their babies,” said Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, OB/GYN physician and Clinical Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at AHN. “On behalf of First Steps and Beyond, we’re thrilled to join the AHN Women’s Institute to unveil a mobile health unit that will provide critical services and access to a patient population impacted by the lack of health care services in their communities.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national maternal mortality rate is 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births – one of the highest rates for a developed country. For Black women, that number is 2.5 times higher, at 69 deaths.

In Allegheny County, Black women fare much worse than the national average, with 91 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.

“By bringing a women’s mobile health clinic into diverse communities, we’re honoring our responsibility as a health care system to improve the lives of the mothers, daughters, aunts, wives, and other women who trust us to provide outstanding – and equitable – care,” Klein-Patel concluded.

For more information on the mobile clinic, please contact obgynmobile@ahn.org.

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