by Gabe Taylor
In partnership with The Independence Center, Mission Medical Center unveiled their first accessible exam table this past February. With help from The Independence Center’s IC Fund, Mission Medical was able to purchase this important piece of equipment, expanding desperately needed services to people with disabilities.
According to Barb Cronin, Executive Director of Mission Medical Center, “This exam table opens Mission Medical’s services to a large portion of our community’s disabled population. This is an exciting collaboration between Mission Medical and The Independence Center.”
Very few people understand how difficult the process of transferring from a wheelchair to a standard exam table can be. Fear of falling or being dropped during transfer has led to a significant lack of care, and in too many cases, individuals with limited muscle control or dexterity, have been unable to receive proper exams or be weighed for years and even decades. The use of equipment such as accessible exam tables and Hoyer lifts for transfer, creates a safe and comfortable means for people with disabilities to receive the medical services they need, and address the related issues.
The UpScale exam table, built by Medical Accessibility, LLC, features a built in scale and measuring tape for taking important measurements, the ability to raise and lower to necessary transfer height, heavy duty grab bars, high weight capacity, and foot stirrups for pelvic exams, among other features.
Here at The IC, we’re actively advocating for medical providers to make accessible exam tables part of their standard equipment. Anyone would be infuriated if their doctor was unable to provide a comprehensive medical exam, but this is the normal reality for so many with disabilities.
Please join with us in congratulating Mission Medical for recognizing the problem and working with The IC to expand medical access to all their patients. And please, if you have the opportunity, talk to your medical professional about the issue. Information is key, and if we all work together, we can get the message out and change the medical experience for our neighbors, friends, and family members with disabilities. To learn more about improving healthcare accessibility for people with disabilities, download our issue brief at http://bit.ly/theichealthcare.