Access to quality healthcare just got a lot easier and closer to home for many families in Wake County. Centro para Familias Hispanos (CpFH), a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, begins its new partnership with WakeMed Health & Hospitals Mobile Wellness Services. The organizations celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on November 18, blessed by Father Peter Devereux of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Raleigh. “Jesus is so happy, and I just ask a special blessing upon this,” he said.
As part of the collaboration, WakeMed’s mobile health unit visits CpFH every 1st and 3rd Monday, providing essential medical care. They aim to eliminate barriers by taking medical services outside your traditional hospital walls and into neighborhoods. Adding healthcare to Catholic Charities programs furthers its mission of “Providing help to our brothers and sisters in need by alleviating the effects of poverty and creating hope by developing solutions to transform lives.”
WakeMed’s Manager of the Department of Community Karen Robbins said, “We’ve been operating this vehicle since 2018. We do extensive outreach not only with companies, but also with other community organizations. We got the idea several years ago… we have this fantastic truck, we have a fantastic team, and we really wanted to do something to help those in our community who are vulnerable. So, we set out on a journey to find the location that would bring much needed care to those in our community to unite us.”
CpFH serves the Hispanic population in Wake County by offering family support and case management services to decrease poverty. Program Director Maty Ferrer Hoppmann said this joint venture with WakeMed enhances the resources already available to families through Catholic Charities and empowers them to live healthier lives.
“There are many silent diseases that we don’t realize that we have, but with the proper checkups, the proper screenings, we can close that gap, and our Community can be more informed and have more education so that they can access the resources that they need. So that’s why we’re very excited,” said Hoppmann.
WakeMed Mobile Wellness Services specializes in offering flexible and comprehensive healthcare options. Their team addresses diverse medical needs, ensuring that individuals and families have access to basic healthcare. Robbins said, “we’re going to be providing care for things like ear infections and pain infections, minor illnesses, minor injury, blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings and education, and then connection to much needed resources. And for us, that’s really the biggest part of this whole thing is helping people get needed care.”
By combining the expertise of WakeMed and the trusted support of CpFH, this collaboration is a step forward in addressing health disparities and ensuring that all families have the resources they need to thrive.
Catholic Charities Raleigh Regional Director Barkley Sample shared how bringing WakeMed’s quality healthcare to the community aligns with the work of CpFH. “Centro para Familias Hispanos has been a leading program in helping Catholic Charities provide help and create hope to our sisters and brothers in need. This will be the impact of power. You’ve heard some great words for a program that we’re very excited about and we look forward to the partnership having long lasting impacts. This initiative strengthens our mission to uplift families and build healthier, stronger communities.”
Catholic Charities is committed to serving the most vulnerable individuals and families throughout central and eastern North Carolina. Guided by the Catholic tradition of social justice, the mission is to provide help, create hope, and serve all people, regardless of faith or background. The WakeMed/Centro para Familias Hispanos relationship supports Catholic Charities mission.
