CINCINNATI — A new mobile health care service is on the road, driving to different shelters to help freshen up the smiles of those in need.
"We can see two patients at one time," said Brian VanderHorst, CEO of NeighborHub Health.
The organization launched its mobile dental care unit in January, which costs around $1 million. VanderHorst told WCPO 9 News that the vehicle and staff were funded by money left behind from the COVID-19 pandemic and from NeighborHub's own pocket.
"This is one of our most exciting events," VanderHorst said.
Watch our interview with one of the health care professionals treating people here:
The bus stopped by The Shelterhouse, located at 411 Gest Street in Cincinnati, on Tuesday. The crew of health care professionals treated several patients throughout the morning and into the early afternoon.
"You really start to connect with these patients and understand kind of where they're coming from. So your passion for these individuals and providing treatment for them enhances so much more," said Dr. Joy Arthur, the dentist treating each patient.
The bus has everything you'd find at an in-person dentist's office: all the tools and medical items, two separate chairs to treat different patients and even a dental X-ray machine.
Arthur's mission ensures those struggling with homelessness know that services are available, and sometimes they arrive on wheels.
“Our ability to service them firsthand, it takes away a lot of those stresses they have with their dental care," Arthur said.
Back in November, WCPO reported that NeighborHub Health will soon have smaller mobile units, to reach areas where homeless people live, that larger vehicles can't get to.
