Westchester Medical Center Health Network’s COACH Brings Health Services and Education to the Community

From Westchester Medical Center:

Westchester Medical Center Health Network’s (WMCHealth) new Community Outreach vehicle will make a stop at the Taste of the Hudson Valley in Poughkeepsie on Sunday, November 6, as part of a larger effort to make health services more accessible to the community.The COACH, or Community Outreach and Community Health, vehicle was launched this summer and has already appeared at a number of community events, said Mecca Santana, Westchester Medical Center Vice President of Diversity and Community Relations.

Santana said the 12-foot plus recreational vehicle currently acts as a health education center, traveling to community events. She said WMCHealth’s ultimate plan is to further outfit the vehicle so it is able to provide additional health services for the community.

“We’ve had a tremendous response to the COACH and many requests for it at community events, the Kidz Expo in Goshen being the most recent.’’ said Santana. “It is our hope that by using the COACH, we can bring more health education and needed services to the community at large as well as to seniors and underserved populations who may not have the ability to travel to get health services.’’

WMCHealth commissioned artist Charles Fazzino, famous for his three-dimensional pop art, to provide the artwork depicting Hudson Valley towns and regions.

The COACH will be at the Taste of the Hudson Valley at the Grandview on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie November 6th. The epicurean festival, now in its 27th year, features more than 100 wine and food pairings from the world’s top wine producers and the finest culinary establishments and purveyors in the Hudson Valley and beyond.Proceeds from the event benefit the programs and services offered at MidHudson Regional Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. For more information about the event, please call (845) 431-8707.

The COACH has already appeared at Suffern Day, White Plains Wellness Week, The Healing Half along the Bronx River Parkway, O+ in Kingston, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Purchase and most recently, the Kidz Expo in Goshen. Community groups interested in having the COACH at upcoming events, should call (914) 493-7887or e-mail Community@WMCHealth.org.

Photo Courtesy of Westchester Medical Center