Cooper University Health Care’s Center for Healing has unveiled a new mobile health services van that will help expand outreach to those suffering from substance use disorders in Camden.
The new unit was purchased through a $341,000 grant from Camden County as part of the nationwide opioid settlement payment to states.
Dr. Rachel Haroz, center head for Cooper’s Center for Healing, said the van will have great impact.
“We are incredibly thankful to Camden County for providing the funding that allows us to expand our services in the community and meet people where they are in their healthcare journey,” she said.
The mobile unit will be staffed by a team of physicians, nurses, and navigators. Medical students from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, residents, and fellows serve as volunteer support staff. The unit has a private exam room, a bathroom, and a dedicated waiting and registration area.
It is fully equipped with heating and air conditioning and designed to be in the community all year. The mobile health van also is fully stocked with wound care and harm reduction supplies. The team will administer medications on a limited basis should a patient need it during their encounter. In addition, the team will provide wrap-around services, including clothing distribution and a limited number of snacks.
The exterior art on the van was created from works by patients who participated in art therapy at Cooper’s Center for Healing.
The Center for Healing will partner with community agencies throughout Camden to establish a regular schedule for the mobile health services. The mobile unit will be transported to those locations by Cooper’s EMS Services. The first agency to partner with the Center for Healing is Seeds of Hope Ministries, a Camden faith-based organization that provides a variety of outreach services for incarcerated individuals, ex-offenders, the unhoused, and those trapped in substance use disorders, among others. The mobile van will be available at Seeds of Hope and additional agencies throughout the city on a rotating basis.
Brenda Antinore, director of Seeds of Hope Ministries, is eager to see the impact of the initiative.
“We are incredibly grateful to partner with the Center for Healing, the new mobile unit, and the dedicated addiction care team led by Dr. Rachel Haroz,” she said. “The relationships we’ve built with the staff over the past several years have been a tremendous blessing to our ministry and, more importantly, to the people we have the privilege of serving. This partnership meets real needs and brings hope to those who need to know that change is possible — one day at a time, one life at a time.”
In May 2023, Camden County officials announced an initial round of $1.2 million of funding it received as part of New Jersey’s opioid litigation settlement. In addition to the funding to Cooper, Camden County was able to expand a variety mental health and substance use disorder services throughout the county, including community-wide naloxone distribution. Over the course of the next 20 years, the settlement will pay almost $32 million to Camden County, which will be funneled to community agencies through a grant program.
“This project will be incredibly impactful for those who are struggling with substance use disorder and cannot easily access medical care,” Commission Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. “We are eliminating the barriers that commonly prevent people from seeking necessary, lifesaving medical care and we are bringing these services directly to the people who urgently need it. In Camden County, we are committed to being there for those who are struggling with the affliction of substance use disorder. This mobile health van will aid us in our mission of saving and changing lives.”
Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen also praised the purchase.
“I commend Cooper University Health Care for taking this innovative step forward in expanding outreach to individuals struggling with substance use disorders,” he said. “This is truly a crisis that affects every community across the nation. The mobile unit will now be able to meet people where they are and provide critical wrap-around, mental health, and substance use disorder services throughout the Camden community. It is comforting knowing patients will have access to high-quality, evidence-based care.”
