The American Hospital Association announced that the Norwegian American Hospital Pediatric Care-A-Van will receive a prestigious AHA NOVA Award at its annual Health Leadership Summit in San Diego, Calif., on July 29. Established in 1993, only five AHA NOVA Awards are given nationwide each year. The award honors hospital-community collaborations that improve community health. “Hospitals care not only for patients, but also move beyond their four walls to work tirelessly with community groups and organizations to offer care in the community,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “The programs recognized by this year’s AHA NOVA Award inspire us all with their collaborative, caring approach to improving community health and wellness.”

Established in 2008, the Pediatric Care-A-Van is a state of the art mobile clinic that provides preventive care – including physicals, immunizations and screenings for lead, hemoglobin, hearing and vision – to local underserved children in a partnership with Chicago Public Schools. In response to community needs and public health priorities, health education is also included in patient visits according to the specific needs of each patient. When parents are present for the visit, they are included in the educational discussions and are informed of health insurance options. The services are free and provided at various school sites according to an established schedule, as well as at preschools, day care centers and other community locations. The Care-A-Van has served more 3,000 children a year across 80 public schools. José R. Sánchez, president and CEO of Norwegian American Hospital, said, “We are honored to have the Care-A-Van program recognized with this prestigious award. It affirms the work we’ve been doing throughout the community. Our goal in starting the pediatric mobile health program was to increase access to quality health care, especially for the community’s medically underserved children.”