College interns with The Family Van provide free health screenings in underserved Boston communities
Medical students in the Boston area are giving back to the communities they grew up in by interning with The Family Van. For 35 years, the mobile clinic has been going into Boston's underserved communities to bring free health screenings and medical advice to people who may have numerous hurdles to find it.
"We are usually stationed around stations or bus stops, and trying to be as accessible as possible," says Salroh Abdol, a Bentley University student from Dorchester. "On the van, I was able to offer healthcare to Vietnamese folks and be able to touch that audience and community where I am from specifically."
They offer a host of tests including blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Some clients make it a routine to check in with them.
"This is like the 10th or 12th area that I have been with this van," said Robert Lee Brooks, a van regular who will turn 80 years old next week. "They gave me a year pass to the YMCA, and I have been going there 14 years now."
Brooks uses the YMCA facility to keep his health up and the Family Van to make sure his exercise is doing what it is supposed to do. For him, it's quick and easy.
"If I go walk into the hospital at Mass General, I'm there for 3 hours, and that's even just getting to the hospital," said Brooks. "A lot of the people, seniors, do not have that kind of money, so this is perfect for them."
"A lot of people can't go to a clinic, or have their co-pay paid for in a timely manner, so they seem to push back their health," said Abdol, who hopes to use her future degree in business and healthcare to help people afford it. "It feels extremely fulfilling to have clients come in for the first time and make it a routine to come back and be on top of their health."
During the summer, the van sees a 30% increase in clients with roughly 500 coming through in July. They started adding college interns five years ago. Brooks met with William Bishop, another Dorchester native. The Brandeis sophomore hopes to one day be a pathologist.
"A lot of the college kids that want to work in the hospitals and stuff like that, and someday I may end up working with them," said Brooks.
The van is parked in various communities from numerous neighborhoods in Dorchester to East Boston. The locations change each day, but they are active from Tuesday through Friday.
