Anthem HealthKeepers Plus Dedicates Medical Van to Mel Leaman Free Clinic to Increase Rural Access to Healthcare

New Mobile Unit will support Mel Leaman’s efforts to overcome barriers and reach more patients in Washington, Smyth, and Grayson Counties

MARION, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Anthem HealthKeepers Plus recently donated a fully outfitted 24-foot medical van to the Mel Leaman Free Clinic in Marion, VA to expand access to healthcare for individuals and families in Washington, Smyth, and Grayson Counties. The van will be used for primary care visits (physicals, blood work, chronic disease management, etc.) and dental extractions, which can keep many out of the emergency room and urgent care facilities. The clinic is also researching potential preventive dental care (cleanings/fillings) and behavioral health visits.

“We are so excited about the addition of a mobile medical unit that can help us provide greater access to healthcare for many of our patients,” said Susan Ferraro, director of the Mel Leaman Free Clinic. “So many of our patients are limited by transportation and travel expenses greatly increasing their risk to severe medical complications. Our partnership with Anthem HealthKeepers Plus allows us to see those patients and, hopefully, keep them out of emergency situations and hospitals.”

Anthem HealthKeepers Plus has been a state-wide Medicaid managed care company since 1996, offering health insurance to over 570,000 Virginians across the Commonwealth, including many low-income mothers and their children.

“Supporting clinics like Mel Leaman always makes a difference,” said Thomas Rayner, Marketing Director for Anthem HealthKeepers Plus in VA. “But when you can see your donation come to life and be able to impact so many people simply by taking healthcare right to their local neighborhood, that is what makes me excited about my job.”

Essential to Anthem’s whole health strategy is an ongoing commitment to investing in communities. Anthem’s Foundation in Virginia strives to improve health by addressing inequities and developing strategic partnerships and programs that support the health of historically marginalized communities. The company’s areas of focus include improving maternal and child health, encouraging food as medicine, reducing substance use disorder, and providing emergency relief spending $5.5 million in the past year throughout Virginia’s communities.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia

Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its affiliate HealthKeepers, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Elevance Health. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/anthemBCBS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnthemBlueCrossBlueShield.