U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams met with UA students, faculty, and staff who assist with the operation of the Primary Prevention Mobile Unit, a public health community program in Phoenix. Feb. 12, 2019, Arizona Department of Health Services
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, visited the Arizona Department of Health Services in Phoenix in February. There to greet him were University of Arizona Health Sciences students, faculty, and staff from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix, and the UA College of Nursing.
Dr. Adams was interested in learning more about Juntos Por La Salud (Together for Health) Primary Prevention Mobile Unit, a program to provide free preventive health services to the uninsured and underinsured in Maricopa County.
Since its launch in 2016, the mobile unit program has provided 7,200 health screenings in addition to connecting people with health care providers throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Dr. Adams was able to observe the students as they conducted screenings for blood pressure, blood glucose, and Body Mass Index on three participants.
“Dr. Adams took the time to interact with each student. He was very interested in the idea of our team of inter-professional students working together. It presents a great opportunity for the students to interact during their training,” said Eduardo Gonzalez Fagoaga, PhD, MS, assistant professor and director of Phoenix Programs at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health and manager for the Mobile Unit program.
“I was also able to share information about the partnerships we have built to provide additional services such as IV/Hepatitis C tests, oral checks for children, and flu shots,” added Dr. Gonzalez Fagoaga. “It was an incredible opportunity for this group of students to meet the Surgeon General, and to introduce him to our program.
The UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health operates the Mobile Health Unit program in both Maricopa and Pima Counties with a team of inter-professional students and faculty from the UA Health Sciences.
