Trillium working to bring mobile health clinics to Eastern NC

JACKSONVILLE, Onslow County — A local healthcare agency is working to bridge the gap in health care services offered to communities in need by creating six mobile health clinics.

Trillium is working with local providers to bring general check ups, mental health screenings, and even substance use treatment next door to the people who need them most.

“We know in the rural parts of Eastern North Carolina we have a lot of transportation problems and it’s hard for people to get into town from the more remote rural areas,” said Trilliums Executive Vice President Cindy Ehlers.

That means that some people don’t have access to general healthcare services they need or proper mental health help.

“Since COVID-19 hit, we have seen an uptick in anxiety and depression and in addiction and substance abuse and so we are hoping to use these clinics to do some outreach and when you need to get help,” said Ehlers.

Through four healthcare providers: Monarch, PORT, Coastal Horizons, and RHA, Trillium plans to bring mobile clinics to communities in Beaufort, Tyrrell, Washington and Carteret counties by January 2022.

“We will be able to provide mental health treatment, access to telepsychiatry, access to methadone and hopefully Suboxone treatment to help with the opioid pandemic and we definitely want to provide treatment for depression and anxiety,” said Ehlers.

Additional services will be tailored to the community’s need, the mobile units are in and Communications Director Jennifer Mackethan said that’s also how they will determine the location the clinics should be placed.

“They may find a certain location like a store parking lot or a church parking lot or where some underserved individuals may live,” she said.

The providers will serve Trillium members, people with Medicare and other insurances, along with people who may not have insurance in hopes of making sure everyone has access.

“We hope these clinics will bring both primary care and behavioral healthcare into these communities that really lack access without this type of innovative approach,” said Ehlers.

Ehlers said this will provide seven total mobile clinics to Eastern North Carolina and she said they hope to continue to expand their services.

For more on Trillium and the mobile units, call 1-877-685-2415 or click here.