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Vidant Beaufort Hospital’s Community Health Improvement Coach, a 35-foot mobile wellness unit, will soon hit the road to bring free wellness services to Beaufort and Hyde Counties.

The unit will make its first trek through the region on Thursday, Aug. 12, offering tours of the coach as well as Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

“At Vidant Beaufort Hospital we believe prevention and early detection of chronic disease and cancer can improve your future health and wellbeing,” Vidant said. “… The Community Health Improvement Coach will travel to locations throughout Beaufort and Hyde counties offering free wellness and cancer screenings. Our goal is to provide much needed screenings in rural communities in hopes of catching chronic disease and cancer in the earliest stages.”

Specific services provided on the coach include adult wellness screenings, which involve assessments of body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol; clinical breast exams and skin cancer screenings; and health education, including colorectal cancer education using Vidant’s ‘colossal colon’ display, stroke awareness education, tips about physical activity, diet, nutrition and weight management; and the importance of smoking cessation.

The coach is scheduled to make the following stops on it debut tour: Vidant Family Medicine in Aurora, 8 – 8:45 a.m.; Blounts Creek Volunteer Fire Department, 9 – 9:30 a.m.; Vidant Family Medicine in Chocowinity, 9:45 – 10:30 a.m.; Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony, 11:30 a.m. –  12:45 p.m.; Historic Bath Senior Center, 1:15 – 1:45 p.m.; Vidant Multispecialty Clinic in Belhaven, 2:15 – 2:45 p.m.; Hyde County Health Department in Swan Quarter, 3:15 – 4 p.m.; and Martelle’s Feed House in Engelhard, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Vidant won’t charge for appearances of the Community Health Improvement Coach. Call 252-975-8850 to inquire about potential appearances.