$1.6 million donation to fund “Big Blue” mobile health unit

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Instead of traveling to a doctor’s office, a Jonesboro family’s generous donation will deliver healthcare directly to Northeast Arkansas residents.

On Wednesday morning, Chris and Kim Fowler donated $1.6 million to the NEA Baptist Charitable Foundation.

The money will be used to fund a comprehensive mobile health unit dubbed “Big Blue” that will “deliver care to underinsured and uninsured individuals in underserved communities in Northeast Arkansas.”

Sam Lynd, administrator and chief executive officer for NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, said he was so thankful for the donations adding this is going to change the way people think of health care.

“A 1.6-million-dollar gift to create something like this that has never been seen before in our region is incredible,” said Lynd. “This was incredibly generous by Chris and Kim, and it will help us move healthcare in the region forward.”

According to a statement by the City of Jonesboro, “transportation to healthcare has been identified as the leading impediment to healthcare access in our region.”

Lynd added that the mobile unit will be a great asset in overcoming that problem.

“Since 1912, Baptist’s mission has been to care for the Mid-South communities it serves, including ours here in northeast Arkansas,” added Lynd. “The Fowler’s gift to fund our mobile health unit is a major step in fulfilling our vision of bringing an expert system of care to patients wherever they are.”

“Big Blue will be equipped with technology to perform breast cancer screenings, community health screenings, sports physicals and an in-game athletics clinic, wellness and preventative visits, vaccination clinics, pandemic rapid response, and interventional resources,” said Ty Jones, marketing director for NEA Baptist Health Services. “It will also have mobile digital x-ray equipment, a mammography unit, lab equipment, and a comfortable exam space for patients.

According to Wednesday’s news release, NEA Baptist is collaborating with Odulair to produce Big Blue by the end of October 2022.

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