ONU Healthwise mobile clinic to provide vaccines in rural areas

ADA — Six counties in 60 days. That’s the scope of Ohio Northern University’s state-sponsored COVID-19 vaccine outreach to rural areas of Northwest Ohio.

HealthWise Mobile Clinic, ONU’s 38-foot RV operated by the Raabe College of Pharmacy, is scheduled to hit the road starting Wednesday, March 31. 

Governor Mike DeWine recently designated HealthWise Mobile Clinic as a mass-vaccination site for serving those who don’t have easy access to larger metropolitan areas where vaccines are more readily available. The clinic, staffed by Ohio Northern pharmacy students and faculty, will be visiting locations in Hardin, Logan, Union, Marion, Crawford and Wyandot counties to administer the 1-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will eliminate the need to for people to schedule and travel for a second dose.

Michael Rush, Pharm.D., director of ONU HealthWise and pharmacy residency programs, said the clinic expects to receive up to 2,200 doses per week and administer about 500 doses each day it is on location. 

HealthWise Mobile Clinic already has experience administering the COVID-19 vaccine. It has been assisting the Kenton Hardin Health Department with vaccinating healthcare workers, K-12 educators and others who have been eligible for the federally-designated first phases of the vaccine roll-out. A dozen COVID-19 vaccination interns were hired and trained this spring semester. About 10 pharmacy and nursing students will be working at each site, all of them vaccination certified. 

HealthWise is also coordinating with county health departments and emergency personnel on this state-level initiative to identify appropriate mobile clinic sites for rural residents with varying needs. 

ONU’s mobile clinic will serve all its designated sites in a four-day continuing rotation. “Each of these locations has associated with it some sort of a building or grounds that we will use,” such as a church fellowship halls and gymnasiums, says Rush. “The mobile clinic then becomes a rolling headquarters” complete with two medical-grade refrigerators and a freezer to store the vaccine, and a secure internet connection to manage data. 

“Our mobile clinic has never been used as heavily as we will be using it in these eight weeks,” Rush says. 

Some additional facts about these HealthWise mobile clinics: 

• A total of 2,593 miles will be travelled during these 60 days. 
• A Union County Fairgrounds livestock barn with four pull-through bays will enable vaccine administration to people in four cars simultaneously. 
• In Logan County, most vaccinations are happening in Bellefontaine, but Belle Center was added as a mobile site because it has a large Amish population that is reportedly having difficulties with vaccine access. 

“We are building capacity in some areas while at the same time reaching out and improving access to care by reaching areas that are less populated with health care professionals,” Rush explains. “Obviously, the pandemic is a huge need in the community and we are evolving to meet that need. For the state to call us and ask us for help in these areas, I think that’s a really meaningful thing for the university and our students.” 

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment for a HealthWise mobile clinic, visit www.gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov

The following is a schedule of state-sponsored clinics that HealthWise Mobile Clinic will offer: 

March 31 – Union County Fairgrounds, noon-6 p.m. 

April 2 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m. 

April 6 – Wyandot County, Carey Public School, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

April 7 – Union County Fairgrounds, 12-6 p.m. 

April 8 – Logan County, Quincy Municipal Building, 9-11:30 a.m.; Mad River Lodge, 1:30-4 p.m. 

April 9 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m. 

April 13 – Marion County, Marion Nazarene Church, noon-6 p.m. 

April 14 – Union County Fairgrounds, 12-6 p.m. 

April 15 – Crawford County Fairgrounds, Bucyrus, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

April 16 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m. 

April 20 – Wyandot County, Sycamore Community Center, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Carey Public Schools, 3:30-7:30 p.m. 

April 21 – Union County Fairgrounds, noon-6 p.m. 

April 22 – Logan County, West Liberty Quest Community Church, 9-11:30 a.m.; Belle Center Fire Station, 1:30-4 p.m. 

April 23 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m. 

April 27 – Marion County, Marion Nazarene Church, 12-6 p.m. 

April 28 – Union County Fairgrounds, noon-6: p.m. 

April 29 – Crawford County Fairgrounds, Bucyrus, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 

April 30 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m. 

May 4 – Wyandot County, Carey Public School, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

May 5 – Union County Fairgrounds, noon-6 p.m. 

May 6 – Logan County, Mad River Lodge, 9-11:30 a.m.; Quincy Municipal Building, 1:30-4 p.m. 

May 7 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m. 

May 11 – Marion County, Marion Nazarene Church, noon-6 p.m. 

May 12 – Union County Fairgrounds, noon-6 p.m. 

May 13 – Crawford County Fairgrounds, Bucyrus, 1-7 p.m. 

May 14 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m. 

May 18 – Wyandot County, Sycamore Community Center, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Carey Public School, 3:30-7:30 p.m. 

May 19 – Union County Fairgrounds, noon-6 p.m. 

May 20 – Logan County, Belle Center Fire Station, 9-11:30 a.m.; West Liberty Quest Community Church, 1:30-4 p.m. 

May 21 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m. 

May 25 – Marion County, Marion Nazarene Church, noon-6 p.m. 

May 26 – Union County Fairgrounds, noon-6 p.m. 

May 27 – Crawford County Fairgrounds, Bucyrus, 1-7 p.m. 

May 28 – Ohio Northern University King Horn Sports Center, 2-6:30 p.m.