As budget cuts to health care leave many needy Bronxites stranded, a mobile clinic beckons residents of Hunts Point, Longwood and Mott Haven to hop aboard.
Health on Wheels, a specially equipped medical van parked every Monday on East 163rd Street near Southern Boulevard, has much to offer, including pregnancy tests, condoms and referrals to prenatal and pediatric health care and family planning -- all for free.
Health on Wheels served 3,100 clients in 1994, said Cathy Bates, who has been the program's director since it started last April. During the week, the van also ventures into Central Harlem, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Jamaica East -- communities identified as high-risk areas for infant mortality.
Mott Haven and Hunts Point have the highest infant mortality rates in the borough, with 10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1993, according to the Department of Health. High rates of teen pregnancy, low birth weight and births out of wedlock also plague those areas.
The van project is supported by the Bureau of Maternity Services and Family Planning of the Department of Health. The bureau has worked since 1984 to decrease infant mortality.
Imani Kinshasa, the bureau's director for the Bronx and Queens, said people who have used the van include prostitutes, HIV-infected individuals, substance abusers, teen-agers and the elderly.
The staff includes a full-time nurse, a social worker and a public health adviser, who also provide basic services like physical exams, blood pressure testing and sometimes just an attentive ear.
Audrey Newhouse, a social worker, recalled a man who was too embarrassed to visit the van himself, so he sent his girlfriend to pick up some condoms. Another elderly man came in to have his blood pressure taken but ended up talking for hours. "He would have stayed the whole day," Newhouse said. "Sometimes there are people who just want someone to listen to them."
The 36-foot long converted mobile home is furnished with an examination room, an office for private counseling, a bathroom and even a reception area with a color television.
Barbara Schnoor, a nurse on the staff, said: "We're in a busy section of the neighborhood with people shopping. It's another approach to bringing something to the people to battle this horrible infant mortality. The goal is prevention."
"There's no excuse to put off getting that pregnancy test," Schnoor added. "The van's right here, and it's free."
Health on Wheels can be found at 1029 East 163rd St. Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call the Women's Healthline, 230-1111.