UNCG Launches Minerva's Health Chariot to Expand Access to Care

New mobile unit, made possible by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina, delivers primary and preventive services across eight Triad counties

GREENSBORO, N.C., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) today launched Minerva's Health Chariot, a new mobile health unit that will expand access to primary and preventive care across eight Triad counties: Guilford, Forsyth, Alamance, Rockingham, Randolph, Davidson, Davie and Caswell. The new unit was made possible by a $715,000 investment from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina.

Since 2023, UNCG's School of Nursing has operated Minerva's Mobile Health, delivering care directly in communities where people live, work and gather — reducing barriers related to transportation, cost and access. In 2025, the program demonstrated its impact:

• Identified six individuals with life-threatening conditions and urgently referred them for care — interventions that were potentially lifesaving
• Averted eight emergency department visits through on-site treatment of minor conditions
• Hosted 16 weekend and evening outreach events, reaching 354 adults during nontraditional hours

Demand has consistently outpaced capacity — and Minerva's Health Chariot is designed to meet it by expanding where and how care can be delivered. The unit features telehealth technology, allowing patients to connect with a medical provider on the spot when a screening result warrants immediate attention.

Its smaller size and compact footprint allow the unit to reach a wider range of community sites — including rural areas — and care can be delivered by registered nurses and nursing students, significantly increasing the program's capacity while providing hands-on training for future healthcare professionals.

UNCG received two grants from the University of North Carolina System to support rural healthcare training programs — $200,000 for its iCARE Rural initiative and $199,078 for the Rockingham Rural Chronic Care Collaborative Hub — further strengthening efforts to build the healthcare workforce and improve access to care in rural communities.

"Minerva's Health Chariot represents what's possible when a university truly carries its mission into the community. At UNCG, we are committed to expanding opportunity and advancing wellbeing across the Triad, and this mobile unit brings that commitment to life by meeting people where they are. We are grateful to UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina for this partnership and proud of the compassionate, high-quality care our students and faculty are delivering directly to our neighbors," said Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., UNCG.

"Remarkable change doesn't happen without the right tools, the right people, and partners who believe in the work. Minerva's Health Chariot brings all of that together — giving our nurse practitioners and students the platform they need to meet our neighbors where they are and deliver care that truly transforms lives," said Dr. Debra Barksdale, dean of the School of Nursing.

"At UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina, we believe that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, no matter where they live. Minerva's Health Chariot will help increase access," said Anita Bachmann, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina. "By bringing telehealth-enabled, preventive care directly into neighborhoods across the Triad, this mobile unit breaks down barriers that have kept too many people from getting the care they need."

For more information or to see when a Minerva's Mobile Health unit will be in your area, visit nursing.uncg.edu.

About UNCG

UNCG is a diverse, learner-centered public research university with approximately 18,000 students enrolled in more than 150 undergraduate and 200 graduate programs. Recognized nationally for academic excellence, access, and affordability, UNCG is ranked No. 1 in North Carolina for affordability by The New York Times, as well as No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 13 nationally for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report. Designated an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, UNCG advances research, creative activity and community engagement that expands opportunity, drives economic impact and strengthens workforce partnerships across North Carolina. For more information, visit uncg.edu.

SOURCE University of North Carolina Greensboro