Being closest to the Pawtuxet Bridge and the division between Cranston and Warwick , Aspray Boat House was chosen as the site for the Comprehensive Community Action Program (CCAP) to officially introduce a service that brings physicians to those who need them.

The CCAP Mobile Medical Unit will operate in Warwick, Cranston and Coventry, and is scheduled to be in the community on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. With two doctor’s offices, the unit provides primary care services without a prior appointment although appointments are encouraged.

The van was funded by a federal grant during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to help treat patients in their communities. Elena Kwetkowski, the first doctor to serve patients on board the van, said that it was a major asset to help improve CCAP’s care.

“In addition to the community coming to us for healthcare, now we can go to the communities that we serve,” Kwetkowski said. “This van represents a creative approach to healthcare and delivering services to individuals who may face barriers to access to traditional health.”

CCAP President and CEO Joanne McGunagle said the vehicle will largely operate within a few set locations, including Calise Field in Cranston and others to be determined, in order for those looking for care to more easily find it. As of now, the van is currently active on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Though the van will be restricted to their coverage area, anyone will be able to use the van, regardless of where they live or their insurance status. The van is staffed to deal with the same amount of patients per day as a normal, stationary clinic, according to CCAP Dental Manager Tara Pratt.

According to Pratt, making sure the van was ready to act as a normal clinic that could travel to reach people who wouldn’t be able to get to a stationary clinic was key.

“We want people to see it and have the confidence that they can get the same service anywhere,” she said.

The event drew the mayors of two of the three cities in which the vehicle will operate- Cranston’s Ken Hopkins and Warwick’s Frank Picozzi.

Hopkins said having the medical van serving the Cranston community would help the city’s residents who need it the most.

“Let’s recognize that this day is a symbol of our commitment to serving all members of our community, regardless of their background or their circumstances,” Hopkins said. “It’s not just a vehicle. It’s a beacon of hope, a symbol of our dedication to ensuring the well-being of every member of our community.”

Picozzi echoed Hopkins’ sentiment, saying that CCAP’s presence in Warwick had helped the city’s residents in ways that the city’s government wouldn’t be able to.

“They fill so many needs for our residents that we just can’t,” Picozzi said. “And now what they’re doing with mobile healthcare, going out to the people who really need it, people you don’t see, people who don’t have transportation or anything else- helping so many of these people in our community, we’re really blessed to have them.”

According to Gina Eubank, CCAP’s assistant vice president of ambulatory and behavioral health, the vehicle is already serving patients, having been to Harrington Hall in Cranston.

While the medical van is expected to serve primarily older patients, another member of CCAP’s medical arsenal was shown off at the ribbon-cutting. The Molar Express van, which has been in service for a few years, according to Pratt, goes to local schools and provides pediatric dental care for students.

Inaugurating the vehicle and being able to bring medical care to adults in need, Eubank said, meant a lot for her and for CCAP.

“We’re hoping to bridge some of these gaps here,” Eubank said. “I’m very excited to go out and treat patients and people in our communities who need this type of service.”

A calendar of locations that the CCAP truck is scheduled to be at can be found at www.comcap.org/services/mobile-health-services/ or by calling 401-427-4080.