Penn State College of Medicine and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation teamed up to launch a new healthcare system in a grab and go format. The ‘Health to Go’ vending machine provides 24/7 access to anyone in need.

The vending machine is located outside the entrance of the emergency department at UPMC Harrisburg. Dr. Alice Zang, Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Penn State College of Medicine says they saw the need for the vending machine during the Covid epidemic.

“When we're seeing a lot of fatal overdoses happening, a lot of services were closed because of them. And so, we had thought of an idea to try to have a way to dispense needed, harm reduction items and naloxone to try to save lives within the context of the pandemic. And then from there kind of grew to try to include other health items and other things that the community might need. And so now we have a variety of different items in the vending machine besides naloxone and harm reduction items, “said Dr. Zang.

Items inside the vending machine includes Opioid overdose reversal kits, Xylazine and fentanyl test strips, Medication Disposal bags, male and female condoms, pregnancy tests, menstrual kits, would care kits, personal care items, and HIV and sexually transmitted disease self-test kits.

Dr. Anthony Guarracino Chair of Emergency Medicine at UPMC Harrisburg says many patients don’t have transportation or financial means to receive healthcare and are often negatively affected by various determinants of health. This location provides those services in a convenient location those patients may not otherwise be able to access.

“You don't need an appointment. You don't need transportation. It's right there in the community. And it allows the patient a sense of independence, because they can now take care of some of some minor health needs, if you will, all on their own. It provides hygiene kits and wound care kits in addition to naloxone. It includes fentanyl test strips for those that are using heroin and other substances so they can make sure that they're not getting, you know, adulterants or stuff way more potent than what they're used to. And so, it provides the community, the services, you know, it meets the community where they are, “said Dr. Gurracino.