From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, why would you like to hear about life in New Jersey? Let us know.
Cooper University Healthcare Healing Center leaders on Tuesday unveiled a new mobile treatment “van” focused on providing care to people suffering from drug use and substance use disorders in Camden.
The goal of the joint project with Camden County is to fill gaps in care for people who cannot access brick-and-mortar clinics or who experience discrimination and bias in typical medical settings.
“This is our clinic on wheels,” says Dr. Matthew Saltzman, an emergency medicine physician and addiction specialist at Cooper Hospital. “This is an opportunity to meet patients where they are, help them understand what we do, how we do it, and gain some trust.”
The boxy trailer unit, affectionately named “Betty,” was hitched to a Cooper EMS pickup truck near the corner of Broadway and Carl Miller Boulevard in Camden. The colorful exterior is decorated with watercolor patterns and illustrations of seashells, butterflies and plants.
Salzman stepped through the front door of the trailer and stood in a small, bright space.
“Registration takes place here. This is a kind of waiting room, so patients can sit here,” Salzman said, gesturing to several chairs and a cushioned bench.
A dry erase board on the wall reflected the names of the doctors, nurses and patient navigators who will be staffing the unit in the coming days.
“And we have a private exam room and the door is closed,” Salzman said. “So if a patient wants a private space to talk to them, they can come in.”
This room contains medical equipment to listen to your heartbeat and breathing, examine your eyes and ears, and measure your blood pressure. Supplies include wound cleansing and bandages, and harm reduction tools such as fentanyl testing kits and naloxone, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses.
This is also where patients can obtain medications such as buprenorphine, which is used to treat opioid use disorder.
“If a patient is experiencing withdrawal symptoms, is afraid of missing a dose, or has a problem with their prescription, we can administer it on the spot,” Salzman said.
