An emergency room nurse dons her face protectors after taking a break in a driveway for ambulances and emergency medical services vehicles outside Brooklyn Hospital Center’s emergency room, Sunday, April 5, 2020, in New York, during the coronavirus crisis.
Los Angeles community health care provider QueensCare's largest mobile dental care unit is being put to use as an extension of Adventist Health White Memorial's emergency room for treatment of non-COVID-19 patients, it was announced Monday.
The primary mission of QueensCare's "Whitening McQueen" mobile unit - one of three it operates - had been providing dental exams and care to Los Angeles Unified students and children of underinsured low-income adults in Los Angeles.
"QueensCare was founded on the mission of providing compassionate and affordable healthcare to all in Los Angeles, and we're proud to be able to serve the community in this unique period of time," said QueensCare CEO Barbara B. Hines.
The MDU, which has 960 square feet of interior exam space, six exam chairs and the capability to perform X-rays, will be stationed at Adventist Health White Memorial through the coronavirus outbreak and will be staffed jointly by both QueensCare and Adventist Health White Memorial employees.
While the MDU will not be used to treat COVID-19 patients, both QueensCare and Adventist Health White Memorial are taking additional steps in light of the coronavirus pandemic to provide for the health and safety of both patients and staff through patient screening procedures and separation from the rest of the hospital population that may have been exposed to the virus.
"We're fortunate to have such great partners in QueensCare and that they were able to provide us with their mobile dental care unit when the community needs more healthcare support than ever before," said Mary Anne Chern, president of the Adventist Health White Memorial Charitable Foundation.
For more information on the joint care program and QueensCare's mobile care units, visit queenscare.org or call 323-669-4302.
