Posted on May 10, 2024 by Lexi Gonzalez

‘Health To Go’ Interactive Vending Machine Launches

‘Health To Go’ Interactive Vending Machine Launches

by Penn State College of Medicine

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Penn State College of Medicine has partnered with the SOS Berks Opioid Coalition to launch a new smart ‘Health To Go’ vending machine that can provide free health, wellness, and personal care items and connect users to community services.

The vending machine is located in the lobby of the YMCA of Reading and Berks County and is accessible to the public 24/7. This smart vending machine has an interactive interface and is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.

“These vending machines will be able to provide free wellness and personal care items and connect them to local services and resources they need. The information gained through this project will also allow us to make sure the supports people need in the community are readily available to them,” said co-lead investigator Alice Zhang, MD, MPH, assistant professor and family medicine physician in the College of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine. “A key part of this project was making sure we worked with the community so that the vending machine could truly serve its needs, and so we would like to thank our community partners for their partnership and efforts in making this project possible.”

The interactive, smart vending machine dispenses free health, wellness, and personal care items and can also help connect users to community services and resources, like food, shelter, health care, or social services. Common items available for dispensing include:  

One of the additional features of the smart vending machine is it will automatically capture information about how it is being used. For example, what items are viewed and dispensed, and when, or what items are running low and need to be re-supplied. Using its large touchscreen, the smart vending machine can also anonymously ask the user questions about their demographics, experiences, preferences, and needs to help improve the services and best serve the community.

“The ‘Health To Go’ vending machine offers the public low barrier access to health and harm reduction products and, at the same time, reduces the stigma associated with drug use,” said Director of Planning and Resource Development for the Council on Chemical Abuse Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz.

When selecting a location for the vending machine, the SOS Berks team provided medical emergency response data from downtown Reading that indicated a particularly high call volume related to opioid overdose in the vicinity of the 700 and 800 blocks of Washington Street.

“Unfortunately, certain communities have been deprived of equal access to health care, including addiction treatment. Additionally, the disease of addiction has been marginalized and stigmatized, yet it is so prevalent and so substantially affects our communities. As the College of Medicine at Penn State, we are fully committed to change this,” said Aleksandra Zgierska, MD, PhD, endowed professor and vice chair of research at the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “The vending machine project was developed in collaboration with our community partners to serve its members. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this project has a great potential to have and welcome feedback to improve it.”

As Pennsylvania’s only land-grant university, the College of Medicine’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of communities throughout Pennsylvania. By partnering with community organizations and government officials like SOS Berks and the YMCA, the College is part of efforts to reduce health disparities and the impact of public health problems faced by our communities.

Located on the campus of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Penn State College of Medicine boasts a portfolio of more than $150 million in funded research. Projects range from the development of artificial organs and advanced diagnostics to groundbreaking cancer treatments and understanding the fundamental causes of disease. Enrolling its first students in 1967, the College of Medicine has more than 1,700 students and trainees in medicine, nursing, the health professions, and biomedical research on its two campuses.

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