Recently, Hurricane Florence came whirling into North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, with wind speeds up to 156 miles per hour. Not only were buildings flooded and destroyed, but more than 1 million people evacuated the coastal regions and another million were left without power. In these cases, health care isn’t easy to access.
With more than nine million members in these areas, UnitedHealthcare felt a responsibility to help. In partnership with Optum and parent company, UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare was able to combine efforts and provide mobile health clinics to two communities that were hit with devastation – Wallace and Wilmington, North Carolina.
The staff of these mobile clinics included crisis counselors, nurses, clinicians and medical mobile unit managers. Together, they helped administer tetanus shots, provide basic medical care, blood pressure and glucose checks, daily prescription refills and treatment for upper respiratory infections, allergies, rashes and abrasions to more than 300 patients.
“Every single individual is important to us. We are here to help serve each and every person who has a need and really serve the needs of the entire community,” says Anita Bachmann, CEO for UnitedHealthcare Community & State in North Carolina.
While storm recovery and rebuilding will take time, UnitedHealthcare, Optum and UnitedHealth Group will work to ensure there is uninterrupted access to care.