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Delaware County unveils 'Wellness on Wheels' mobile health unit; first public event June 20
Summary
Delaware County announced a grant-funded mobile health unit, Wellness on Wheels, to deliver testing, vaccinations and screenings across the county; the health department will debut the unit June 20 at a Hoops for Health tournament and the department outlined staffing and budget details for the coming fiscal year.
Delaware County on June 17 introduced Wellness on Wheels, a grant-funded mobile health unit the county says will bring testing, vaccinations and other basic health services directly to communities. County officials said the unit's first community appearance will be June 20 at the county Health Department's Hoops for Health basketball tournament.
Laura Warner, introduced in the meeting as the county health department lead, presented an overview of the department's work and the mobile unit's role. Warner said the department employs about 82 people, brought in roughly $8.8 million in grant dollars in 2025, operates two clinics and ran 139 outreach and education events last year. She noted the department distributed 17,570 doses of naloxone in the last year as part of its harm-reduction work.
"We're those prevention people," Warner said, describing the department's focus on preventing illness and reducing hospital visits. She said Wellness on Wheels will offer testing, vaccinations, exam rooms and services such as lead and radon testing, STI and HIV testing, and support for emergency-preparedness events.
County leaders framed the mobile unit as a response to local healthcare access challenges that emerged after changes in the private healthcare landscape. Chairman Womack said the county invested ARPA dollars and other grant funding to secure the vehicle and "we are going to start programming and be in the community and provide services where Delaware County has it." He invited residents to take advantage of free services.
A representative from Matthews Specialty Vehicles, the manufacturer, described the unit's configuration and said the company is ready to deliver and support the vehicle in service.
Warner also outlined the department's proposed fiscal-year budget: a $14.5 million departmental budget, with projected revenues around $9 million, an ARPA subsidy of about $3.6 million and a county contribution forecast of about $1.7 million for the fiscal year starting July 1. Warner and council members emphasized that state and federal grants historically cover 70–80% of the department's operations and that the county contribution has been supported with ARPA funds since the department was established in April 2022.
Council members asked that the department continue outreach to ensure residents know how to access services, including efforts to alert people whose medical records from a closing hospital remain to be retrieved. The department said it will continue community events, back-to-school programming and targeted clinics to raise awareness about available services.
The county said Wellness on Wheels is intended to complement existing clinics and community outreach rather than replace permanent local care options. The county will roll out dates and locations as programming is finalized.
