By Charlotte Smith
Town Council members, Chamber members, Bladen County Commissioners, Department of Social Services, Health and Human Services, the Sheriff, and the District Attorney are only some of the agencies and representatives that attended the momentous occasion of cutting the ribbon with Trillium Health Resources and Coastal Horizon in celebration of a new Mobile Clinic in Bladen County. There were over 50 people in attendance for the ceremony this Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Trillium Health Resources, Bladen County’s Medicaid managed care system, partnered with one of their providers, Coastal Horizons, to launch Mobile Clinics in Bladen County and 16 other counties in their catchment area. The mobile clinics offer services in rural areas to address stress, anxiety, depression, and general mental health challenges.
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Mr. Rufus Lloyd, Town of Elizabethtown Town Council Member, welcomed the large crowd to mark the occasion. He told those in attendance, “This will help people who would like to receive health services but struggle with issues like transportation.”
Dennis Williams, Southern Regional Director with Trillium Health Resources, took over leading the ceremony and invited Cindy Ehlers, Executive Vice President of Strategy with Trillium Health Resources, to speak about the services offered in Bladen County. In February, Trillium Health Resources took the place of Eastpointe as Bladen County’s managed care system to provide services in mental health, intellectual and developmental disability, substance use, and traumatic brain services.
Ehlers mentioned that before the managed care system was changed in Bladen County, Commissioner and the Substance Misuse Task Force Chair Charles Ray Peterson asked her, “What is Trillium going to do for Bladen County?”
“Well, here you go,” Ehlers exclaimed as she pointed at the new mobile clinic.
The 17 mobile clinics, according to Ehlers, may vary with services based on provider or local demands. However, they are expected to offer the following:
Mental health screenings
Substance use disorder treatment
Traditional therapy
Assertive outreach
Medication management via telemedicine
Care management
Peer support
Crisis and Disaster Response
Ehlers also noted that, in the future, clinics may offer physical health services such as general health checkups and vaccinations. Trillium’s vision for the future also includes hope for the mobile clinics to be able to provide Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for individuals experiencing opioid addiction.
Watch the video about the ceremony on our YouTube channel linked below.
Bladen County Board of Commissioners Chair Ray Britt explained how exciting the news is to have a mobile crisis unit in Bladen County. He said, “This is not something that started today, but this process started a while back. Today, I’m happy to tell you, on behalf of the commissioners, we have the help for the rural areas now. This is for the citizens in Bladen County who we all work for, and I’m glad we are able to present this, and this staff is available.”
Dr. Teresa Duncan with Bladen County Health and Human Services reminded people, “We have had some dark and gloomy days in Bladen County because there are few people in Bladen County that have not been touched by the impact of substance misuse in our county.”
“I think we can all agree that Bladen County is suffering,” but with a sigh of relief, Dr. Duncan continued, “It is a bright day, and I think it is a new beginning for us. We are pleased to welcome Trillium Health to Bladen County as our new managed care, and we look forward to working together to identify the needs and access additional treatment and resources for our citizens.”
Next, Margaret Weller-Stargell, President & CEO of Coastal Horizons, took to the podium. “It is our privilege to be here with you this morning and have this mobile clinic,” Weller-Stargell said. She added, “When Cindy called me about starting the mobile clinics in Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus Counties, my immediate answer was, “Yes!” We look to try to meet the needs in the communities that we serve.”
“We know there are barriers for access to care in Bladen County, but this will help reduce those barriers,” Weller-Stargell stated.
Before the ribbon-cutting, Kenny House, VP of Clinical Services, Coastal Horizons, explained the mobile clinic’s approach in Bladen County. He explained, “We don’t treat people by their problems, but we treat people as whole people, and so we try to make an approach in the system of care, so people don’t have to go to 10 different places just to get help.”
House announced four “needs” to make the mobile clinic successful. “The first are community partnerships. I was so glad to hear Dr. Duncan’s comments. We are so glad there is going to be a nurse on the mobile clinic.”
“The second thing is professional quality, meaning not just the services, but the staff.” He added, “The third thing is reliable access because we are using two strategies: technology and wheels to provide reliable access to people who need help, when they need it, and where they need it.”
“The fourth thing is getting to know the community through those partnerships and getting a quality team together to provide those quality services,” House said in closing.
To conclude, Williams announced the partnership with One Community Initiative. One Community will work with the mobile clinics to go door to door in rural neighborhoods to inform residents about services available.
The stakeholders present gathered around Trillium Health Resources, Coastal Horizons, and One Community Initiation team members to mark the tide’s turning by cutting a green ribbon.
The mobile integrated care units are funded by NCDHHS through the federal Substance Abuse Treatment Block Grant. Bladen County’s mobile unit will serve all of Bladen County. Dr. Duncan stated that the exact location of where the unit will be stationed would be announced at a later date.
Dr. Danny Ellis, a Bladen County Commissioner and member of the Trillium advisory board, said he was excited about the new mobile clinic. He and Dr. Mollie Glenn, who also serves on the Trillium advisory board, have already attended one board meeting with a key focus on recruiting more providers in the local area.
Members and recipients can view the Trillium Health Resources Network through an online Provider Directory or by calling the Service Line at 1-877-685-2415. Bladen County will be part of the Southern Region with Trillium. The Bladen regional director, System of Care Managers, and other Trillium staff will work directly with Bladen County agencies and partner offices. Trillium is currently researching suitable locations for a potential local Trillium office.
For more information:
- Email our dedicated address at Bladen@TrilliumNC.org
- Call the Member & Recipient Service Line: 1-877-685-2415 or the Provider Support Service Line: 1-855-250-1539
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