‘I know I’m going to be fine’

Bernadette Louiser, a 45-year-old mother of three, discovered she had early signs of potential breast cancer during a screening in the Bayhealth mobile clinic that visited her job site at Perdue in February 2022.

It came as a scare, but Louiser has since become a patient of Bayhealth and she remained in good health. She said she plans to receive annual exams to help ensure she stays healthy, and she encourages others to do the same.

“I talked to the ladies in my life and said to get a mammogram to make sure everything is fine and they don’t have anything happening,” said Louiser, who lives in Dover and works in Milford. “I think a lot of people need to come.”

Louiser credits her awareness to the evaluation by Bayhealth medical staff, who use their 38-foot van, which resembles an RV, to serve employees at businesses and rural communities that lack adequate access to healthcare.

Louiser visited Bayhealth’s Sussex campus in Milford the morning of April 16, as the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation officially presented a check to support the mobile care unit’s cancer screening program. The van provides breast, lung and prostate screenings in Kent and Sussex counties, including Perdue plants in Milford and Georgetown. It has been used six times since July 1.

“Assuring access to quality healthcare in the communities where our associates live and work in Delaware is a priority at Perdue,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of Perdue Foundation. “We are proud to be a part of Bayhealth’s tradition of healthcare excellence. We know the services provided through the mobile unit will help improve the quality of life for our associates and their families, and our neighbors.”

“A lot of people in rural areas don’t have access to healthcare,” said Lindsay A. Rhodenbaugh, president of the Bayhealth Foundation, noting a shortage of medical staff throughout the state.

Contributions from the Welfare Foundation and Longwood Foundation helped defray the cost of a $700,000 van equipped with screening room and private blood-draw space. A driver and medical staff go out on the road to bring cancer care and other services to employees of large companies, and it also is set up at churches and fire stations.

“It’s on the road a lot,” Rhodenbaugh said.

The custom-designed mobile clinic’s construction was slowed and the cost rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, as parts became difficult to acquire, he said. It was put in service in 2021.

“This allows us to do so much more," said Stephanie McClellan, Bayhealth Cancer Institute manager.

The pandemic gave the hospital leadership a greater understanding of the need to bring healthcare to residents, said John Shevock, senior director of Oncology Service Line and executive director of the Bayhealth Cancer Institute.

“We identified the need to not expect people to come to us; we need to get out to see patients in their own community,” Shevock said. “Transportation is one of the biggest barriers.”

“Sometimes I don’t have time to go to my appointment because I am a single mom; I’ve got my kids,” said Louiser, who works as a general laborer at Perdue.

“This RV that we have allows us to do so much more and really meet patients’ needs, whatever they are, even if it’s just connecting them with services,” McClellan said. “Sometimes that’s the most important part, breaking down that barrier to know that you can trust the healthcare community and we’re here to help you with your needs.” 

“The people are very nice,” Louiser said. “They help you, even if you don’t speak English. It was a good experience for me.”

Louiser said she is relieved that she had an exam and sought help.

“I know I’m going to be fine,” she said.