Photos of the Care Mobile

On-site school locations:
8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Monday - Goliad
Tuesday - Pease
Wednesday - Zavala
Thursday - Cavazos
Friday - Carver / Blackshear / Milam

THE RONALD MCDONALD CARE MOBILE™
IS ROLLING INTO TOWN!

Join us in welcoming the arrival of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a children’s medical clinic on wheels which will provide medical care for children in the Permian Basin.

Odessa, TX (August 28, 2007) – Medical Center Hospital has partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Southwest to bring the state-of-the-art Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program to our area. A medical clinic on wheels, the Care Mobile will bring medical care and health information directly into local neighborhoods with unmet healthcare needs for ECISD students, siblings and their minor children up to the age of 21. The Odessa-based Care Mobile will be the world’s 31st Ronald McDonald Care Mobile and the third in Texas.

Ribbon Cutting was held on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 at the MCH parking lot located on the southwest corner of 3rd and Alleghaney.

Starting September 10, the Care Mobile will be on-site at the following schools from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm: Monday–Goliad, Tuesday–Pease, Wednesday–Zavala, Thursday–Cavazos, Friday–Carver/Blackshear/Milam. While the Care Mobile will visit these schools weekly, the mobile clinic can be used by patients at any of the locations.

It is expected that the Care Mobile will have an impact on the health of the community by providing education and health screenings at community events including health fairs, school programs and other local events. By making Care Mobile pediatric services accessible to underserved schools, churches and community centers, the outreach effort is expected to improve the health for thousands of area children who would otherwise receive little or no healthcare services. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will reduce reliance on expensive and inappropriate health sources, such as hospital emergency departments; provide continuity of care; heighten awareness of healthy lifestyles and safety; and help eligible families obtain government-assisted health insurance. Discounted medical coverage is based on household income. Medicaid, CHIPs and most other commercial insurance accepted.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile was designed and built specifically for the delivery of pediatric health care tailored to the Permian Basin area. The vehicle will house two patient examination rooms, a laboratory, a reception area and a medical records area. The healthcare team will consist of a pediatric nurse practitioner, a pediatric nurse, a registration/billing specialist, a social worker from Medical Center Hospital and a pediatrician available for patient consultation.

The vehicle is being granted to Medical Center Hospital by the Global Headquarters of Ronald McDonald House Charities. MCH will be responsible for operations and staffing of the mobile clinic. RMHC of the Southwest will provide 20% of the annual operating costs; provide volunteer services; and select members of the Board of Directors and staff will serve on an Advisory Committee composed of MCH and RMHC representatives as well as other community liaisons.

“Medical Center Hospital is proud to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Southwest and other local organizations, including Children’s Miracle Network and the Junior League of Odessa, Inc., in bringing this unique healthcare setting to our community. The Care Mobile will go directly into the child’s neighborhood, rather than the child having to be brought to the Hospital or a doctor’s office. This alone should improve access for the youngest of patients and be more convenient for their parents or caregivers,” said Bill Webster, Medical Center Hospital’s Chief Executive Officer.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Southwest and Medical Center Hospital have been partners in providing comfort and care for children and their families since the April 2006 opening of the world’s 100th Ronald McDonald Family Room inside MCH.

For more information, contact: Renee H. Earls or Rhonda Lewallen – MCH Communications/Marketing at (432) 640-1242 or Tamara R. Bavousett RN, MSN, C-PNP - Ronald McDonald Care Mobile at (432) 640-1713.