By Journal Staff
The Revere Commission on Disabilities (COD) held its regular monthly meeting last Tuesday, February 10, via Zoom. On hand for the session were chair Ralph DeCicco, vice-chair Pauline Perno, Annmarie Fiore, Jason Barone-Cichocki, Mario Grimanis, and Ellie Vargas.
The guest speaker for the meeting was Jared Craig, the Mobile Operations Manager for the Mass. General Hospital’s (MGH) Community Care Van.
Craig said he oversees the community care van for the MGH, which is one of three vans operated under the auspices of the MGH, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Salem Hospital, providing coverage in Boston and the South and North Shores. He said the vans are clinically-equipped, DPH-licensed, and fully-staffed.
“Our main goal is to help people bridge the gap from not having primary care and not being engaged with a doctor on a regular basis, to having primary care,” said Craig, who noted that the vans are available to individuals regardless of insurance status. “It’s a walk-in model and all are welcome.”
He said that the idea behind the care vans is to “move the front door of the hospital into the community, offering services such as blood pressure screenings, diabetes education and assessment, substance abuse disorder outreach and care, early cancer detection, and screening for social determinants of health and connection to resources.”
Craig said a new program that the vans have undertaken recently is screening for colorectal cancer by using the Cologuard test, at no cost to the individual, with follow-ups for colonoscopies if deemed necessary.
He said that in addition to a nurse practitioner, a community health worker also is on-board the van to assist persons with obtaining primary care and follow-up services.
He said the staff is bilingual in English and Spanish and that the MGH language line is available for other languages.
Craig said the average age of patients is 57, of whom 66% are female. Craig noted that the vans are much more efficient than a typical doctor’s office in that the vans are able to provide services to more patients per hour than a typical doctor’s office.
Lynn (17.1%) and Chelsea (13.2%) provided the highest-percentage of patients who used the vans’ services. Revere residents accounted for only 1.6% of patient visits.
In response to a question from DeCicco, Craig said that the services of the vans are accessible to persons with disabilities in both the summer months, when the vans set up tents, and in the winter, when the vans pull into areas near buildings where lobby areas are available for them to provide services off-the-van.
DeCicco suggested that the vans could visit the public housing projects in communities such as Revere in order to provide services to persons with disabilities who live in those buildings.
Craig said the MGH van will be at Revere High School on Tuesday, February 24, from 3-6, and on the fourth Tuesday of each month thereafter.
DeCicco summarized the February 4 meeting of the Commissions on Disabilities Alliance (CODA) that he attended. He said that the commissions in other communities are having difficulty finding members. He also mentioned that snow removal was another topic of concern among the members.
DeCicco reported that he has submitted an application for a grant to Save The Harbor/ Save the Bay for funding for the third annual All Abilities Day at Revere Beach. The COD has received grants in each of the past two years from the Save the Harbor group that have helped pay for the events of the day that have proven to be hugely-popular.
The members then held a discussion on reaching out to the Revere Public Library regarding financial assistance that the COD might provide with purchasing books or in-house equipment specifically tailored for people with disabilities.
DeCicco said that the commission could use funds from the money it receives for handicapped parking fines pursuant to the state law. He said he spoke to a library staff member who will be getting back to him with suggestions.
Fiore voiced her support for providing funds to the library for those purposes.
Prior to adjournment, DeCicco reminded residents and businesses that they are responsible pursuant to the city ordinance for removing the snow from the sidewalks in front of their homes and businesses.
Perno read the COD’s monthly reminder to conclude the meeting:
“The Commission on Disabilities office number is 781-286-8267. Residents can also call Revere 311 directly and speak to their staff Monday through Friday. They will answer most questions, but if they are unable to assist you or if you prefer to talk with the Commission directly, please ask to be transferred to the Commission on Disability Direct number. Please leave a detailed message, and we will respond to you shortly.
“As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss or add something to our monthly meeting agenda. You can also let us know if you want to discuss any concerns. The Commission is here to help and assist all residents with disabilities and their families in Revere.”
The commission’s next meeting (via Zoom) will be on Tuesday, March 10, at 6:00.
