SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Memorial Health is launching a new $300,000 fundraising effort to establish a mobile health program in central Illinois.
The "Mobile Memorial" program is designed to bring preventative and essential health care services directly to communities where they are needed most.
"Health does not start in the exam room. It starts in homes, workplaces, schools and neighborhoods," Memorial Health President and CEO Mandy Eaton said. "If we want to move the needle on health, we have to reach people where they are and be proactive about it, not just wait until someone is sick enough to show up in the emergency department."
The fundraising initiative will debut as part of the Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS. The championship is a golf tournament that is part of the Korn Ferry Tour, which gives rising professional golfers an opportunity to earn a spot on the PGA Tour.
The championship will be from June 25-28 at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield. Memorial Health leaders plan to use the funds raised by the tournament and donors to equip a mobile health van that can travel to neighborhoods in rural communities across central Illinois, providing services like preventative screenings, health education, referrals and vaccinations for those who may otherwise face challenges accessing care.
"The quality of your health shouldn't depend on where you live," Memorial Health Senior Vice President and Chief Community Impact and Philanthropy Officer Dolan Dalpoas said. "Unfortunately, across central Illinois, life expectancy can vary by 10 to 20 years. Our goal is to bring healthcare directly to people who need it, breaking down the barriers that keep people from getting care."
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