Health Express

The Health Express Bus is both a symbolic and tangible extension of University Community Hospital and serves as one of the hospital's primary tools in its outreach and public education programs for the community. The Health Express Bus is dedicated to the promotion of overall wellness and enhanced awareness of health related issues in the Tampa area.

The Health Express is a 40-foot Blue Bird bus that is specially equipped to serve as a mobile unit for such activities as health fairs, health screenings and the distribution of information and literature describing the various services provided by UCH as well as specific health related areas. The Health Express Bus serves area businesses, including UCH's Occupational Health Service clients, civic organizations, religious groups, schools, residential communities and the general public at events such as recreational and sporting events.

UCH's Outreach Services Program also provides comprehensive services to the physically active. Through sponsorships, medical assistance, physician referrals, and injury prevention/education programs, UCH targets participants and families of all ages and abilities which include not only youth leagues, but schools, college intramurals, private clubs, cheerleaders and dance lines, Boy & Girl Scouts, and so on. It is the goal of the Outreach Program to position UCH to be a resource to meet the needs of the physically active, and in the process, build relationships that could last a lifetime.

The Health Express Bus Is Equipped To Provide These Health Screenings:

Pulmonary Function - Checks the function of the lungs and screens for upper respiratory disorders such as bronchitis and asthma.
Body Fat Composition - Measures height and weight and percentage of body fat and lean body fat or muscle.
Blood Sugar - Screens for risk of diabetes.
Cholesterol (Total, HDL and Ratio) - Checks the total level of cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol and provides a comparison, or ratio, of the HDL and total.
Blood Pressure - Measures the pressure in the large arteries at the height of the pulse wave.

UCH's Community Outreach Department is available to assist the organization's chairperson or events coordinator in planning health fairs and events to ensure that they meet the organization's specific needs. The department will also provide assistance and suggestions for promoting the event such as the use of flyers, paycheck stuffers, press releases and stories in internal publications.

The following guidelines have been established to facilitate the planning of Health Express Bus events:

When scheduling events, organizations and groups are asked to provide six to eight weeks notice prior to the event.
The number of screenings on the Health Express Bus should be limited to two or three.
The Health Express Bus can be reserved for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of six hours. The recommended hours of operation are from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The corporate contact person is encouraged to set up screening appointments for employees or participants.
In order to reserve the Health Express Bus, businesses must have a minimum of 30 employees or persons who will participate.
A flat fee will be assessed when booking the event.
For community events, an individual charge will be assessed for each person at the time of their screening.

For more information or to schedule the Health Express, call (813) 615-7395.