SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics (IHLA) at Georgia Southern University has opened a new Care Station in the lobby of the Dr. Mark and Tonya Spivey Public Library in Vidalia, Georgia. The Care Station is a health vending machine that aims to improve community health by increasing access to over-the-counter health products and at-home diagnostic tests.
Current products include ibuprofen, diapers, children’s pain reliever, diabetes care, at-home testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and hand sanitizer, among other items.
The Vidalia Care Station is the second to open under IHLA's "Care Stations in Rural Georgia" initiative, with each machine designed to meet the specific health needs of the community it serves. Community feedback will guide future product choices. All Toombs County residents are encouraged to share anonymous input about what they would like to have available in the Care Station through an online feedback form at bit.ly/CareStation_Vidalia. This will ensure the Care Station continues to reflect the needs of the community.
“By understanding the unique needs of the community, we can offer customized health products and tests in easily accessible locations,” said IHLA project lead Jennifer Drey.
Using the Care Station is simple, and items are priced similarly to local retail stores.
“Users tap the touchscreen and scroll through the available products,” explained Kathryn Stewart, IHLA business and finance coordinator. “If a user sees something they want to purchase, they may use a credit card to pay for items directly at the machine. For safety and security reasons, the Care Station does not accept cash payments.”
Confidentiality is a key feature of the Care Station.
“These machines are easy to use, safe and completely private,” said Jill Johns, IHLA project manager. “Whether someone is purchasing pain relievers or STI tests, no one else will know. That confidentiality helps remove stigma, which is often a major barrier to accessing health products.”
The placement of the second Care Station in Vidalia, builds on IHLA’s earlier work performed through the Community Health Resource Project, which identified a need for additional health resources across rural counties..
“During our previous work with Toombs County, we found strong support from local stakeholders — particularly the library,” said Drey. “Vidalia is representative of the communities where we hope to expand this program.”
A public ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held March 4, beginning at 1 p.m., with remarks at 1:15 p.m.
“These first two IHLA-sponsored Care Stations serve as a proof-of-concept,” Drey added. “Rural communities often face greater challenges than metropolitan areas in terms of accessing essential health supplies and testing. We hope this pilot demonstrates a scalable model that can be expanded to other rural communities across Georgia.”
The first Care Station opened in Statesboro, Georgia.
IHLA uses an integrated One Health approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. Its mission is to transform the health and well-being of communities through applied evidence-based practices and technology integration. To learn more about IHLA please visit: georgiasouthern.edu/ihla.
