Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a pediatric clinic on wheels,  to welcome public during visit to Parkview Wabash, July 12 

WABASH, IND. – July 6, 2018 – Parkview Health and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Indiana have teamed up to bring early and preventive health services to children under age 5 who lack access to medical care. In late June, the organizations launched the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a state-of-the-art,
40-foot-long vehicle that will serve as a “doctor’s office on wheels” for youngsters in need.

One of only 50 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles in the world, this new vehicle will visit Parkview Wabash Hospital on Thursday, July 12, from 1:30 – 3 p.m. The public is invited to tour the Care Mobile, which features two patient exam rooms, a point-of-care testing lab, and a patient education area.

This Care Mobile program was specially designed by Ronald McDonald Charities of Northeast Indiana, in collaboration with Parkview Health, with clinical and educational services tailored to the needs of the region’s residents. It will now deliver medical services to underserved children directly in their own neighborhoods. Parkview Physicians Group (PPG) – Pediatrics providers and staff members will provide services including:

▪  Primary care
▪  Well-child visits
▪  Developmental screening
▪  Hearing and vision tests
▪  Vaccinations
▪  Point-of-care testing
▪  Strep tests
▪  Influenza screening
▪  Lead screening
▪  Fluoride treatments
▪  Health and safety education

Services will be provided at no charge to families who do not have insurance.

Quality care and preventive services

The partnership that gave rise to this newest Care Mobile is aimed at helping more youngsters get care they need.

“At Parkview, we believe it’s important to meet families where they are in their healthcare journey, creating greater access to services and education and fostering healthy communities,” said Mike Packnett, president and CEO, Parkview Health. “We are proud to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities on an initiative that allows us to do just that by extending pediatric care beyond the walls of our hospitals and clinics and meeting our patients where they need us.”

“Ronald McDonald House Charities and Parkview Health both believe in the power of serving the community and ensuring that all children have an equal opportunity to receive quality healthcare,” said Jen Veatch, executive director, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Indiana. “It is because of this shared mission that our organizations have partnered to reach medically underserved children in the region.”

PPG pediatrician Tony GiaQuinta, MD, has a vision for this new program: “The goal of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is to drive children into a stable, high-quality medical home. The American Academy of Pediatrics defines the medical home as a model of care that is ‘accessible, family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate and culturally effective’ and promotes it as the source of primary care for all children. We know that children with a stable medical home are less likely to seek expensive and inappropriate emergency room visits, and more likely to receive important preventive services. The medical home promotes healthy behaviors such as family reading, dental hygiene, helmet use, and decreased screen time.”

Duane Hougendobler, MD, PPG – Pediatrics, agrees: “The pediatricians of Parkview Physicians Group have a passion for improving healthcare for all children in our area, and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will allow us to care for those who do not have access to the healthcare system. The Care Mobile will provide a safe and non-threatening environment in which children can receive important growth and development exams and immunizations.”

For more information, visit www.parkview.com/pediatrics orwww.rmhc.neindiana.org/caremobile.