LAURA TARANTELLA/THE EXPRESS Dr. Michael McShane talks about services provided by the LION mobile clinic while at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven.

LOCK HAVEN — Commonwealth University-Lock Haven hosted Dr. Michael McShane on Oct. 7, at the Greenberg Auditorium within their Willis Health Professions building to share more information on Penn State’s LION mobile clinic.

With the partnership of NC PA Area Health Education Center, McShane was able to present and share Penn State’s addition of the mobile clinic with staff, faculty, students and more as a way to increase preventative care and screenings for our more rural neighbors. The medical mobile provides vaccinations, cancer screenings, preventative care and trainings such as Stop the Bleed.

During his presentation, McShane shared that we see a larger mortality rate within rural communities due to the lack of brick-and-mortar physicians offices that are able to help monitor common chronic illnesses. The best way to limit the deaths seen by these illnesses is to provide educational materials and preventative screenings for communities in need.

When it comes to living in a rural area, the need for brick-and-mortar physicians offices rises as the population ages, but there’s been a rapid decline with physicians in rural areas.

One of the ways the LION mobile clinic is offering a new and improved healthcare system is through cancer screenings and preventative care for acute, chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and more. Preventative care like this allows for illnesses to be more manageable between visits from the mobile clinics.

The idea of the LION mobile clinic came after seeing the rapid decline in basic necessities in Snow Shoe, Pa. when their grocery store closed, bank shut down and physicians offices left town, McShane said.

During their first event in Snow Shoe, McShane shared a story about a man named Bob and how he was struggling to afford gas and food while traveling back and forth for cancer treatments.

McShane and his students were asked to check in on Bob and see how they could help.

While many people see mobile clinics as more of a quick vaccination location, for Bob, it became a life line that provided healthier food options and assistance with gas vouchers for treatment.

McShane expressed an eagerness and willingness to partner with local community groups in order to bring the LION mobile clinic to Clinton County on a more consistent basis.

“As a platform, there’s ways and mechanisms that allow us to partner with others and figure out a way to provide the care people need,” he said.

A partnership like this would allow the student doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to expand their care outside of a farming atmosphere and become more well-rounded providers.

The main concern coming from the mobile clinic is pushback from the communities.

“These communities have been burned many times,” said McShane. “It’s just another person coming up. They’re going to show up, then they’re going to leave.”

The more these students show up, the more likely the community is to accept them.

“What’s taking time in Snow Shoe is us continuing to show up. And that’s what we kind of do with other communities to build a report, the more we show up, the more it seems like folks know we’re sticking around,” McShane said.