Geisinger’s Mobile Care Gap bus offers care to those with diabetes
Critical services and screenings help patients better manage their health
The bus stops every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at different locations in the Geisinger footprint. Patients with care gap misses are contacted and scheduled for appointments on the bus — no walk-ins are taken. Staff members also assist in scheduling mammography and colorectal screening services. Three nurses on the bus each see up to 20 patients.
Services provided include height, weight and blood pressure checks, foot exams, diabetic retinopathy eye exams, nephropathy screening (urine collection) and any overdue lab work including phlebotomy services (A1c). Patients can also be vaccinated against pneumonia and flu, when needed.
“In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it closed the care gap on our diabetic population. Patients were missing critical yearly eye exams, kidney checks and blood tests used to monitor how well people are managing blood sugar levels,” said Brandie O’Neil, care gaps mobile nurse health coordinator. “This highlighted the need for a full-service diabetic population care bus to provide patient care to those who need it most. It really turned into something special to be able to serve our patients with diabetes.”
The team plans to continue care year-round. During the fall and winter months, when the bus may not be appropriate, the mobile nurses will go into clinics to continue closing diabetic care gaps.
Geisinger’s Mobile Care Gap bus is one of four mobile units in service. Patients served include those on Geisinger Health Plan, which includes Geisinger Gold (Medicare Advantage). Nurses also help patients identify resources to help them with any other health challenges they’re facing or offer enrollment in programs like Geisinger at Home and Geisinger 65 Forward.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
