New Harper Family Mobile Health Unit helps Nebraska Methodist College expand outreach efforts

Meeting people where they live, play and learn. Providing access to free health services. Educating community members about essential resources. 

As the director of Diversity and Community Engagement at Nebraska Methodist College (NMC) since 2020, Kiley Petersmith, DNP, RN, CPEN, CPN, has led a team that has worked countless hours to promote health equity – especially for underserved populations. 

“We’re trying to bring as much health care access to them as possible and connect them with resources in a more holistic way by going to them rather than them coming to us,” Petersmith said.

The team’s efforts became a little easier after it gained possession of a sprinter van in late 2023.  

Thanks to Methodist Hospital Foundation and its generous donors, the Harper Family Mobile Health Unit helps transport NMC staff and supplies and can serve as a small clinic at a variety of outreach events throughout the Omaha area, Nebraska and western Iowa. The unit features a generator for electricity, a sink, a refrigerator and an exterior awning to provide coverage from the outside elements.

Prior to the addition of the new van, the team’s only option for a mobile clinic was the Mobile Diabetes Center (MDC) – a partnership between NMC and the Cornbelt Diabetes Connection. The MDC – a 38-foot RV outfitted with equipment to provide free diabetes screenings – needs a large parking space and requires a community partner to drive, which isn’t always convenient for the team’s needs.

Previously, if the MDC didn’t fit where the NMC Center for Diversity and Community Engagement team was heading, staff members would load their personal vehicles with supplies and set up a small standing clinic.

“The van is a way to not replace what we’re already doing, but to expand what we’re already doing without some of those barriers,” Petersmith said.

The van will primarily help with the team’s pediatric lead-screening efforts and allow it to have more of a presence at family-oriented events. 

“I get excited for the all the possible opportunities that we have with this mobile unit as a tool to help us facilitate those, whether it’s by getting us there or having a private space for various screening services,” said Alicia Whitehill, MSN, RN, the community engagement clinical coordinator at NMC. 

In addition to pediatric events, the team used the van throughout the summer in partnership with New Visions Homeless Services' Donna Project to offer diabetes screenings, blood pressure checks, wound care services and care coordination for the street-level homeless population.

Mutually beneficial

Similar to the Methodist Mobile 3D Mammography coach and the Methodist Hospital Community Counseling Program, the new mobile health unit helps meet the needs of communities throughout Nebraska and western Iowa by meeting people where they are.

“It’s not easy for many people to find the time, transportation or money to pay for health care,” said Tracy Madden-McMahon, president and CEO of Methodist Hospital Foundation. “Our donors know this and help us think beyond the walls of our hospitals and clinics. Their gifts make it possible for caregivers to go into neighborhoods and connect families with affordable services and screenings.” 

Each NMC community engagement event is staffed by college faculty and students, primarily in nursing programs. 

“It’s especially meaningful to us that the new mobile health unit brings access and education together,” said Betsy Murphy, a trustee of the Harper Family Foundation. “Students at Nebraska Methodist College want to improve people’s lives. By training on the unit, they’re taking an important step, moving their learning from the classroom to the community.” 

“The benefit of what we do in community engagement is that every relationship is mutually beneficial,” Petersmith said. “Not only are we addressing a community health need that’s identified through networking and conversations with our community partners, but we’re also teaching future health professionals.” 

For NMC students, working at outreach events can be very rewarding.

“I find it very enriching to my program because it gets me out in the community,” said Hollyn Mosley, a junior who’s pursuing her nursing degree. “My focus when I am a nurse will be community health, so being able to have that avenue at school has been really wonderful.”

Jessica Anthony, BSN, RN, a 2024 NMC graduate who has volunteered with the community engagement team at the Kountze Food Pantry and New Vision Homeless Services, believes it’s beneficial to receive real-world experience outside of the classroom and hospital. 

“It really makes us aware of the needs in our community and of how much help is really needed,” said Anthony, who accepted a part-time nursing position in August to continue working with the community engagement team. “As nurses, most of us are helpers, but when we’re confined to the hospital, clinic or certain specialties, we’re not always exposed to what the needs are in our community.”

Some students also gain inspiration from Petersmith, Whitehill and Andrea Peak, the community engagement program coordinator.

“There can be a stigma that you have to work at the bedside, but Kiley, Andrea and Alicia are examples of how you can have such an impact in the community – you can really see that they care,” said Liz Cordes, a third-year nursing student at NMC and certified nursing assistant on the Critical Care Unit at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital.

With the addition of the mobile unit, the engagement team hopes to expand its volunteer opportunities to more students focused on occupational therapy and respiratory therapy.

Community partners

NMC’s Center for Diversity and Community Engagement team partners with a variety of organizations throughout Omaha and surrounding communities for regular clinic events, including at Open Door Mission and Youth Emergency Services (YES).

The Harper Family Mobile Health Unit heads to the Open Door Mission’s Lydia House on a monthly basis. The team conducts pediatric wellness screenings, including developmental milestone, hearing and vision checks, for children who may not have pediatricians or access to routine checkups.

At the beginning of 2024, NMC teamed with YES to complement its efforts in providing a safe place for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness or housing insecurities. On nearly a weekly basis, the NMC team provides care coordination and educational resources to help address the unique needs of young adults. 

In addition to continuing its established partnerships, the outreach team plans to use the new mobile unit to take its lead and hemoglobin screening tools on the road to rural Nebraska, where – according to Petersmith – there’s a high need and low screening rate. In June, the van made its way to Niobrara to help with screening efforts at the North Central District Health Department’s Healthy Living Expo.

“The van is helping us truly live out our motto, which is to be where people live, work, play, pray and learn,” Petersmith said.

Photos by Daniel Johnson