[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 7, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING THE HEALTH WAGON

 Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, as we continue our battle with 
COVID-19, we must acknowledge the healthcare healers that are serving 
in our rural communities. In particular, I would like to highlight the 
work of the Health Wagon in Virginia. The Health Wagon is the oldest 
mobile clinic in the Nation. Their mission is to provide compassionate, 
quality healthcare to medically underserved people in Appalachia. The 
Health Wagon works to mitigate barriers to healthcare access, taking 
healthcare into the community, into places like grocery stores, food 
banks, workplaces, and providing communities in southwest Virginia with 
access to primary, specialty, dental and vision care.
  Health Wagon originated 40 years ago with Sister Bernadette Kenny of 
the Catholic order Medical Missionaries of Mary. Sister Bernie traveled 
on rural mountain roads in her Volkswagen Beetle to deliver healthcare 
to individuals in southwest Virginia. Now, the organization employs 
more than 50 staff members across four clinics and four mobile units. 
Their average patient is 41 years old, with 100 percent of patients 
being uninsured or underinsured. Over the last year, the Health Wagon 
has served 10,857 individual patients and documented 35,250 patient 
encounters.
  The Health Wagon has also been vital in the fight against COVID-19. 
Since March 2020, the Health Wagon has provided more than 18,000 COVID-
19 tests, provided 19,567 COVID-19 vaccinations, and administered over 
5,500 monoclonal antibody treatments. They do not bill for services, 
and their programs are sustained by grants and donations from 
individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Health Wagon is led by 
president and CEO, Dr. Teresa Tyson. Dr. Tyson has served with the 
Health Wagon for 30 years, and under her leadership, the organization 
has received national recognition for its innovative projects in 
telehealth space. The Health Wagon was the first to deliver a virtual 
wound care clinic and conducted the first FAA-approved drone delivery 
of medications in the United States. Dr. Tyson led the largest health 
outreach of its kind in the Nation, as well as providing the first 
telecytoscopy in the world in partnership with University of Virginia. 
Dr. Tyson leads a group of caring and committed providers.
  Rural communities are the backbone of our country, and the Health 
Wagon has served the Appalachia community admirably. I thank them for 
their service.

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