Medical RVs offered to YCSD kids in efforts to improve healthcare access

Two new medical RVs will soon offer services to Youngstown City School District students. 

The school board purchased these vehicles in 2020 and will be equipped to provide dental and ophthalmology services to kids.

The RVs will offer dental and eye exams from QUICKMed staff, along with minor procedures. The services are available year-round, and they do not require insurance. QUICKMed officials and Superintendent Justin Jennings said the lack of pediatricians in the city poses a problem for healthcare access, and these RVs will drastically benefit students.

"When you look at poverty in its correlation with access to care, you see a direct correlation of limited access to care and poverty for reasons like transportation, insurance, or type of insurance," explained Lena Esmail, CEO of QUICKMed to 21 News. 

"Now, our students don't have to leave the school to go to Austintown or Boardman to a pediatrician, then come back to school," Jennings told 21 News. "It's kind of like a one-stop shop."

Medical professionals from QUICKMed provide medical care on the two RVs. QUICKMed has a management contract to operate the RVs on behalf of the city, as QUICKMed is the preferred healthcare entity for the district.

The vans were purchased in 2020, and the district is now getting the programs moving as the vehicles "just got completed," according to Jennings.

"Tonight's [Tuesday's] presentation was to bring awareness to the board so we could subsequently share with the families, students, staff, and the whole family within YCSD that care is available for everyone," Esmail said. "We'd like to take the opportunity to utilize it if they're in need of services, which is so very limited in this area."

The services will become available throughout 2023. QUICKMed is also interested in working with Austintown Local Schools by offering similar services.