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Rockingham County introduces a mobile medical unit

The Rockingham County Division of Public Health has unveiled a new mobile medical unit, with a goal of increasing access to health care for residents in rural areas. 

The customized, RV-style vehicle was purchased using pandemic recovery funds. It’s designed to provide a variety of on-the-go services, including health care screenings, preventative care and school immunizations. 

Rockingham County Public Health Director Trey Wright calls it “Wellness on wheels.”

"It's very important to meet people where they are in a rural county. Not everyone can make it to here, the county seat of Wentworth,” says Wright. 

He says primary care is available for the uninsured, and adds that his department will soon commence a substance abuse treatment program. 

"So, providing medication for opioid use disorder and behavioral health counseling," adds Wright. 

Rockingham County also introduced a mobile dental unit last fall that provides school-based dental care for children.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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