The Oklahoma Caring Foundation and Chickasaw Nation launch updated mobile health unit to expand access to care
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Caring Foundation, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, in partnership with the Chickasaw Nation, announced the launch of a newly updated Caring Van, designed to expand access to preventive health services for Oklahoma communities.
As part of the broader Caring Van Program, the updated mobile health unit reflects the continued collaboration between the Oklahoma Caring Foundation and the Chickasaw Nation. The enhanced van strengthens their shared mission of delivering essential health services to Oklahomans in need.
“The ability to provide high-quality health care through a mobile and versatile program has enhanced the quality of life of elders and rural populations across the Chickasaw Nation,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. “This updated Caring Van will help the Oklahoma Caring Foundation and Chickasaw Nation ensure that health care access and convenience are not a barrier to Oklahomans with medical needs.”
Since launching in 1999, the Caring Van Program has helped remove barriers such as cost, transportation and access to care by bringing immunizations directly to schools, childcare centers and community locations statewide, delivering over 405,000 vaccines.
“The Caring Van Program is all about meeting people where they are,” said Brooke Townsend, Executive Director of The Oklahoma Caring Foundation. “Through our partnership with the Chickasaw Nation, we are able to expand that reach and ensure more Oklahoma families have access to health care.”
The Chickasaw Nation Caring Van serves communities across south-central Oklahoma, providing immunizations, sports physicals and additional preventive health services directly to residents who may otherwise face barriers to care.
“The caring van is community health in action,” said Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Health Dr. Charles Grim. “Since 2018, our van conducted more than 400 visits at senior sites, Head Starts, college campuses and community events. Most recently, it responded to the April 2024 tornado in Sulphur – a reminder that this program isn’t just about wellness, it’s about showing up when our communities need us most.”
The updated van will travel to underserved locations, continuing the program’s mission of delivering no-cost immunizations where they are needed most.
For more information about the Oklahoma Caring Foundation and the Caring Van Program, click here.
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 licenses 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 Chickasaw Nation Health: Chickasaw Nation Health is an award-winning, First American, tribally governed health system of the Chickasaw Nation, delivering primary care, specialty services and advanced clinical programs to First Americans and surrounding communities in Oklahoma and across the country. With a flagship medical center in Ada, Oklahoma, and facilities throughout the Chickasaw Nation, Chickasaw Nation Health provides care rooted in the values of the Chickasaw people and the health of the communities it serves. For more information, visit ChickasawNationHealth.net.