In January 2023, Atrium Health launched Drive to Thrive, the first mobile medicine program of its kind in North Carolina and one of the nation’s first mobile units dedicated solely to women’s health care. The program brings obstetrics and gynecology care directly to underserved communities, focusing on reproductive, maternal, and prenatal health.
For Ruby Pittman, an ambulatory social worker with the Drive to Thrive program, the opportunity to join the team was one she felt destined for. “I have been with Drive to Thrive since the day the program launched. My background as a social worker in the maternity care unit at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center helped me prepare for this role. I knew the kind of support the patients we serve were going to need,” said Ruby.
The interaction between social workers and patients, Ruby explained, starts with an assessment to determine if patients have adequate access to housing, food, transportation, and mental health services, and provides support to those who need financial assistance. “If a patient is stressed about not having food or a place to live, they will have a hard time focusing on their health. We care about the person as a whole. The social and medical needs are important and connected.”
Being onboard the first mobile program of its kind in the state, Ruby is passionate about the purpose Drive to Thrive serves. “This mobile outreach is unique and important because we are able to go into the community and provide a service — meeting patients exactly where they are,” she shared. Ruby and her colleagues go above and beyond to ensure the patients receive support for all of their needs — whether they are seeking prenatal care, parenting resources, or mental health support.
Since its launch, Drive to Thrive has provided nearly 1,000 care visits at nine locations in the Charlotte area, offering services outside grocery stores, churches, and outreach organizations, and partnering with educational institutions like Central Piedmont Community College to ensure care is accessible to all.
With a patient-centered approach, the program provides comprehensive care in a welcoming environment. The clinical team includes board-certified OB-GYNs, advanced practice providers, and social workers, offering exams, follow-up appointments, and seamless care across Atrium Health.
“Patients are always appreciative of how we care for them,” said Ruby. “What keeps me going is the smile on patients’ faces and knowing that I am fulfilling a need. I just love that we are making a difference in our community and offering services that no other mobile unit offers. Everyone should have access to high quality health care. We are easing patients’ minds and changing the way they think about health care.”
Following in the footsteps of lead benefactors Barbara and Todd Kopczynski, MD, many generous donors continue to advance the Drive to Thrive program through gifts to the Atrium Health Drive to Thrive Mobile Unit Fund, administered by Atrium Health Foundation.
Dr. Todd Kopczynski (center), a volunteer physician for Drive to Thrive, is also a benefactor of the program, alongside his wife, Barbara.