It’s early Sunday morning and the Community Health Mobile Unit has just rolled into the parking lot of a small, quiet church in Orange Cove. Locals are already waiting in line, as a group of Fresno State nursing students prepare supplies and medical equipment inside one of two patient rooms of the mobile unit.
Outside, Dr. Kathleen Rindahl, School of Nursing faculty, greets an older gentleman who is there to get his blood sugar checked. After checking in, he is taken inside where a nursing student gently pricks his finger to draw blood, but a reading on the blood sugar monitoring device could not be detected. They try again and still no reading. They later discover that the client’s blood sugar level was literally off the charts, resulting in an emergency referral to the hospital for treatment.
Rindahl said cases like this are common and occur at nearly each of the 25-plus mobile unit stops.
Each semester, the mobile unit travels up and down the San Joaquin Valley, visiting surrounding communities where access to health care is not readily available. In total, the mobile unit can rack up as many as 100 miles roundtrip for each visit, traveling as far as Riverdale and Reedley.
With funds from Fresno State’s Day of Giving — an annual 24-hour online fundraising effort, happening on Thursday, Nov. 7 this year — enough fuel was purchased to be able to keep the mobile unit up and running safely, while also stocked with essential medical supplies, like blood glucose meters and test strips, and other equipment needed to serve the over 100 clients who are serviced each visit.
Students also benefit from the experience, gaining valuable clinical skills and community service hours. Since funds were donated, over 300 students in nursing, dietetics and athletic training, among others, have been able to gain hands-on learning in community health.
The Community Health Mobile Unit is just one example of how funds raised during Fresno State’s annual Day of Giving — a 24-hour online fundraising effort — directly benefit students and empower student success.
The third Day of Giving will run from midnight through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7. This year’s goal is to reach 2,250 unique donors, a 5% increase over last year. A live leaderboard will track progress throughout the day, providing real-time updates on the campaign website.
Donors can make a gift to a specific college, school,division or program that resonates with them, from among 19 participating areas. Funds raised will be used for programs and initiatives to help fulfill Fresno State’s mission “to boldly educate and empower our students for success.
Visit Fresno State News for a list of campus activities and to learn more.
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