Note: Click here for the full upcoming schedule for the STHS Be Well Bus.
St. Tammany Health System is hitting the road.
Health system leaders took delivery earlier this month on what’s been dubbed “the Be Well Bus,” a 40-foot motorcoach outfitted with an array of health screening instruments. In coming weeks, it will be setting a course for local fairs, festivals, employer-sponsored events and other gatherings, all in the name of improving community health on the Northshore.
“St. Tammany Health System has been known for decades for bringing world-class healthcare close to home for our neighbors on the Northshore,” said Anne Pablovich, the health system’s community outreach coordinator. “Now, with the Be Well Bus, we’re bringing it even closer to home, right into the communities that need it the most.”
Conceived as an effort to combat stubbornly poor health metrics prevalent throughout South Louisiana by addressing barriers to quality healthcare, the fully loaded Be Well Bus includes a registration area and two private screening suites. Between them, the bus’s healthcare team will be equipped to conduct such on-the-spot services as:
- Mammograms.
- Colorectal cancer screenings.
- Skin cancer screenings.
- Head and neck cancer screenings.
- Prostate cancer screenings.
- Lung cancer screening assessments.
- Vaccinations.
- Cholesterol checks.
- Blood pressure checks.
- Arterial ultrasounds.
- Osteoporosis screenings.
- Labwork.
“We’re ready to roll,” Pablovich said, adding that locals can expect to see the bus at events throughout western St. Tammany Parish and Washington Parish.
The Be Well Bus is an initiative of St. Tammany Health System in partnership with Ochsner Health. It serves as part of a larger initiative called Healthier Northshore, an alliance of 50 of the Northshore’s leaders in healthcare, government and nonprofit sectors to improve health and well-being in St. Tammany and Washington parishes.
“In a state ranked 49th for overall health, in a region with higher cancer rates than Louisiana’s average and the state’s highest prostate cancer mortality rate, our community’s health directly impacts our success and quality of life,” STHS CEO Joan Coffman said. “St. Tammany Health System’s Be Well Bus and the Healthier Northshore initiative we launched with likeminded Northshore leaders will elevate the overall health of our population and improve the quality of life for those who live here.
“We’re raising awareness, addressing barriers to good health and wellness, providing screenings, connecting patients to care and measuring outcomes for learning opportunities.”
Interested in having the Be Well Bus visit your business or being a part of your event? Contact STHS Community Outreach Coordinator Anne Pablovich at (985) 871-5932.
For media inquiries, please contact St. Tammany Health System AVP/Communication Melissa Hodgson at (985) 898-4131 or mhodgson@stph.org.