‘Smart’ public health vending machine expands access to free health resources in York County
Leaders from Penn State College of Medicine, WellSpan Health, York County and local community organizations gathered on Thursday, June 4, to celebrate the launch of an interactive vending machine designed to expand access to free, lifesaving health and wellness supplies, public health education and local support services.
The “smart” public health vending machine, located at the Loretta Claiborne building at 605 S. George St. in York, became operational on Thursday, May 7. The building is also home to the WellSpan Behavioral Health Walk-in Crisis Center, which provides 24/7 support for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis that does not require immediate medical care.
Unlike traditional vending machines, the interactive model features a touchscreen interface that:
Alice Zhang, MD, assistant professor of family and community medicine and principal investigator on the vending machine project, demonstrates the new machine in York.
- Dispenses free health and wellness items such as personal care items, naloxone (Narcan), fentanyl and xylazine drug checking strips, HIV and other sexually transmitted infection self-test kits, condoms, wound care kits, pregnancy tests, period pads and tampons and cold/flu kits
- Delivers bilingual (English and Spanish) public health education videos and messaging, with Haitian Creole soon to be added
- Connects users directly to local support and community service organizations
- Enables longitudinal, anonymous data collection to help evaluate health needs in the community over time
Each public health vending machine was developed through extensive input from community members and local partners, ensuring that decisions about location, supplies, educational content and local service connections reflect the needs of the people it is designed to serve.
“For many people, accessing basic health supplies or finding the right local support can be harder than it should be,” said Alice Zhang, MD, assistant professor of family and community medicine and principal investigator on the project. “By placing this machine in a trusted community setting, we’re helping reduce barriers and connect York residents with resources that support their health, safety and well-being.”
The vending machine in York is located at the Loretta Claiborne building, 605 S. George St.
Led by the College of Medicine in collaboration with WellSpan Health and local community partners, with financial support from York County, the initiative was made possible through initial funding from the College of Medicine’s Comprehensive Health Studies Collaborative Pilot Award in October 2022 and matching funds from the Department of Family and Community Medicine, which boosted the program’s development. Additional support comes from the National Institute on Drug Abuse K23 Career Development Award and Penn State Clinical and Translational Institute’s KL2 Program, which are advancing evaluation and sustainability efforts.
The initiative uses community-driven design and innovative technology to improve access to essential health resources and better understand local health needs over time.
Other smart public health vending machines have been operating in Harrisburg (111 S. Front St.) and Reading (631 Washington St.) for the past two years, and a rural vending machine was recently unveiled in Millersburg. Over Memorial Day weekend, the machines dispensed 96 items, with significant use after-hours and in the evening. The newer York machine dispensed 19 items over that weekend.
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