OKLAHOMA CITY — The Southern Plains Tribal Health Board (SPTHB) Caring Van is a dedicated mobile clinic, in partnership with the Oklahoma Caring Foundation, traveling the state to bring preventive health services to tribal citizens.
Since inception in 2015, the SPTHB Caring Van has served more than 2,300 tribal citizens by providing consistent, year-round preventive health services and collaborating with health departments, nonprofits, Indian Health Service, Urban Indian Health Centers and Tribal Health Centers.
“The Caring Van’s partnership with Southern Plains Tribal Health Board has expanded our geographic reach, while increasing the amount of lifesaving preventive services that we offer,” said Amy Pulliam, Caring Foundation manager. “We are proud to partner with the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board to serve American Indians in Oklahoma.”
Services provided aboard the SPTHB Caring Van include immunizations, Body Mass Index screenings, dental screenings, fluoride varnishes, blood pressure screenings, hearing screenings, oral health education, food distribution, lice checks, Hepatitis B screenings, HIV screenings, and 174 COVID-19 testing.
For additional information and to schedule the SPTHB Caring Van in your community, contact Janice Knight at jsknight@spthb.org or Yonavea Hawkins at yhawkins@spthb.org.
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About The Oklahoma Caring Foundation
The Oklahoma Caring Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization administered as an in kind gift by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company. These companies are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The Foundation was established in 1994 to improve the health of Oklahoma children through vaccinations and access to basic, preventive health care. For more information, visit oklahomacaringfoundation.org.
About the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board
The Southern Plains Tribal Health Board is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Health Board was established in 1972 to provide a unified voice on tribal public health needs and policy for the federally recognized tribes in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Board membership includes representatives from the 12 service units in the Indian Health Service (IHS) Oklahoma Area. The SPTHB serves as a liaison between the National Indian Health Board (which works closely with Congress and the Senate on Indian Health Policy for Indian Country) and the 44 federally recognized tribes located in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.