Mobile Health Clinic Brings "Flourishing" to Nashville
On the corner of Lafayette Street and Charles E Davis Boulevard stands Church of the Messiah.
Most mornings the area may not look like anything special, but not on the morning of Sept. 17.
On the outside of the building, a line of people sit on a nearby curb. Some talk to others in line, some keep to themselves.
As they wait, a man sets up a unit that sits at the far-right side of the parking lot.
Both the unit and the truck it’s connected to are decorated with the same words: “Flourish Health Center From Belmont University.”
About two years ago, Belmont faculty members and pharmacy professors Tracy Frame and Amy Henneman received funding to create a Belmont sponsored mobile clinic.
The clinic was created “to be a bridge of care,” Henneman said.
While there was a bit of deliberation on what to call the clinic, the word Flourish was used to emphasize helping the patients “flourish with health and wellness,” Frame said.
The Flourish Health Clinic officially opened its doors last November.
Its reach began relatively small, reaching areas that were in high need of care.
“I realized there was a big gap in care for people when they leave treatment,” Frame said.
As the clinic continued to grow, so did the number of locations the clinic would visit throughout the week.
The clinic now goes to eight or more locations a week, according to Medical Director Jill Heavrin.
The progression to expand reach was purposefully slow to “build trust and rapport in the communities,” said Chap Cuthbert, a mental health co-op who has been with the clinic since the start.
Alongside finding areas that needed care, Frame and Hennenman also sought locations which had other organizations that visit and already had a built-in relationship with the communities.
One of these organizations is The Bridge, a food bank operating in Middle Tennessee for the last 20 years.
This organization is the same one bringing all the people to the curb of Church of the Messiah.
As they continue to wait, the man at the truck sets up two tables and numerous chairs.
This man’s name is Dave Hunt, and he’s one of the mobile unit coordinators.
With the help of the on-duty security officer, Jim Beukeman, Hunt puts two tents over the tables.
He then places a sign in front of the unit. The sign lists the services the clinic provides:
Urgent Medical Care
Narcan
Addiction Services
Mental Health Referrals
As Hunt puts the final touches on the outside of the clinic, the other clinic staff begin to trickle in.
After some time, the total number of workers reaches 12.
It consists of hired staff, faculty volunteers, health science students and a security officer.
As the group gets ready for any incoming patients, they all form a circle and Hunt leads them in a group prayer. After “Amen,” each worker assumes their position.
Belmont students Cortlyn Garner and Yusuf Fakhruddin join Cuthbert at the front table.
Here, the patients give their information before heading to the second table.
At the second table, patients sit for triage and vitals. If the staff feels like further work is needed, the patient is sent inside the clinic.
There are doors on either end of the unit where patients will enter to see either Heavrin or Jamie Adam, a nurse practitioner.
As a nurse practitioner, Adam assesses the patient and decides if they need medication. If so, she will diagnose or prescribe them.
After about an hour of operations, the parking lot begins to bubble with anticipation as The Bridge’s truck pulls in.
Multiple workers appear and begin setting up tables and boxes as the antsy crowd lines up.
This organization has been visiting this site for years, said The Bridge’s CEO, Jennifer Ranson.
While the two groups keep to themselves, there is a unity in how The Bridge and the clinic operate for the shared benefit of the community.
“Being able to partner together has been wonderful,” Ranson said.
After The Bridge’s patrons make their way through the line, a few step over to a table set up right beside the clinic.
The table is adorned with an array of black socks and Narcan for any passing person in need. There is also a small container to the side that holds condoms and hygiene kits.
Heading this table is the second mobile unit coordinator on duty, Ben Williams.
On top of being a part of the clinic staff for nearly a year now, Williams has done work throughout Nashville through organizations and non-profits.
The clinic has been a way “to give good energy back to the city,” Williams said.
As The Bridge wraps up its time at the church, it packs up and leaves as swiftly as it arrived.
While the clinic receives only a sparse number of patients during the Thursday morning block, on a weekly average the clinic sees upwards of 40-50 patients, Frame said.
Despite the low patronage and blazing September heat, morale among the workers remains high.
Through the up-close connection, the staff can truly understand what this kind of care means for people at the base level.
It has also been a major benefit for student workers who can get their first taste of being a help in the Nashville area.
“It is changing the way I view healthcare,” Fakhruddin said.
While the clinic has been helping Nashville communities for nearly a year now, there are plans to evolve what the clinic can do, the staff said.
There are early plans in the works to launch a second unit to double the number of locations the unit visits in a week, Frame said.
There are also other outreach plans soon to do good to those in need.
One of these initiatives is a wheelchair cleaning event set to take place on Oct. 26, said Maria Papadopoulos, an occupational therapist who has been with the clinic since February.
The event will include the help of occupational therapists, physical therapists and public health students to get students to help at a street level, Papadopoulos said.
Even if the clinic’s goals for outreach have no end in sight, there is an end to the clinic’s time at the church.
While the clinic has wrapped up its time at Church of the Messiah for the time, it does not mean it is done for the day.
As the workers pack up the unit and truck, they prepare to head about four miles down the road to Proclamation Church where they will set up for another session of helping Tennesseans in need of wellness.
“It’s a blessing to meet people where they are,” Heavrin said.
Written by Trey Sullivan
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