New Ronald McDonald® Care Mobile Program Brings Free Health Care to Children Worldwide
40 Mobile Healthcare Units Slated by 2005
PRNewswire
CHICAGO
May 10, 2001
To help address the growing need for access to health care for millions of children worldwide, Ronald McDonald House Charities® announced today the launch of a fleet of Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles, mobile pediatric healthcare units that deliver free medical and dental care directly to underserved children in their own neighborhoods. Plans call for 12 mobile healthcare programs in operation by the end of this year and a projected 40 by the end of 2005, making this one of the most extensive mobile healthcare programs ever undertaken.
The announcement came during today's kick-off of the Ronald McDonald House Charities International Conference, where delegates from 33 countries are convening to discuss the charities' mission of directly improving the health and well being of children around the world.
"Statistics show that there are 1,353 babies born without health insurance each and every day in the U.S. alone, which is devastating," said Ken Barun, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Barun added that Ronald McDonald House Charities will launch the first Ronald McDonald House Care Mobile outside of the U.S. later this month -- in Buenos Aires, Argentina. "Our goal is for Care Mobiles to become as prevalent in communities around the world as Ronald McDonald Houses are today," Barun said. "Through the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program, we can be part of the solution to the serious healthcare access problem facing our children today."
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program is a fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles designed and built specifically for the delivery of pediatric health care tailored to each community it serves. Through a relationship with local hospitals and health systems, this program delivers free medical and dental care directly to underserved children in their own neighborhoods.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 12 million children in the United States not covered by private health insurance, and that number is estimated to increase in the near future by 3,000 children per day. As a result, one in three uninsured children has not seen a physician in the past year. In addition, uninsured children are 25 percent more likely to miss school and much more likely to be unnecessarily hospitalized because of a lack of preventive care.*
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile helps reduce reliance on expensive and inappropriate health resources, such as hospital emergency departments. The program also provides continuity of care by providing follow-up services and referrals to a primary care physician, dentist or pediatric sub- specialist and helping eligible families enroll in a federally-assisted health insurance program such as "Insure Kids Now."
STATE-OF-THE-ART UNITS OFFER FULL PEDIATRIC SERVICE
Each Ronald McDonald Care Mobile houses two patient examination rooms, including prenatal exam capabilities, a laboratory, a reception and medical records area -- and the latest in telemedicine technology to better serve rural areas. Some units include a hearing screen booth, while others offer a dental hygiene room -- a unique service not typically available in other mobile healthcare units. This dental component provides a much-needed service, based on a recent study released by United States Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, in which he reports that there are great disparities in good oral health care -- specifically with children and the nation's poor.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile healthcare team varies by market but may include a pediatrician, a pediatric nurse, a dentist, a dental hygienist and a unit manager; other staff members may include a social worker and an asthma specialist.
By sending Ronald McDonald Care Mobile pediatric services to accessible locations like schools, churches and community centers, the Ronald McDonald House Charities outreach effort is expected to improve the health for thousands of children who would otherwise receive little or no healthcare services. When the Care Mobile visits a site, children are treated with respect and dignity with pre-scheduled appointments, rather than waiting in long lines.
There are four Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs currently in operation: Worcester, Mass.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Winston-Salem, N.C.; and San Jose, Calif. Programs will be launched in seven more cities, including Buenos Aires, by the end of 2001: Chicago, Ill.; Billings, Mont.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Savannah, Ga.; Spokane, Wash.; Dallas, Texas and Lexington, Ky.
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES BACKGROUND
With 166 Ronald McDonald House Charities Chapters in 33 countries, 207 Ronald McDonald Houses in 18 countries and a legion of more than 25,000 volunteers, Ronald McDonald House Charities has helped millions of children and their families in local communities around the world.
Most recently, Ronald McDonald House Charities gave a $5 million grant to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to help eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) -- a disease that kills an estimated 600 infants each day in developing countries -- in every country in the world within the next five years. "With the grant to UNICEF, we are on track to reach a half-billion dollars in grants by the end of 2005," said Barun. "The Charities is also expanding its Changing the Face of the World™ program with recently awarded grants to non-profit organizations such as Interplast, which sends teams of medical volunteers to developing countries to fix facial deformities among children."
Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit, 501(c)3, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children through its network of 166 local Charities currently serving in 33 countries. The Charity makes grants to not for-profit organizations and provides support to Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles worldwide. To date, Ronald McDonald House Charities' national body and global network of local Charities have awarded more than $300 million to children's programs. For more information on Ronald McDonald House Charities and its global and local community efforts, visit the Ronald McDonald House Charities Web site at http://www.rmhc.org/ or call 630-623-7048.
* Children health statistics from "The Uninsured in America" study by the
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and the U.S. Census Bureau Web site
which can be found at www.pbs.org/newshour/health/uninsured/# and
www.census.gov/hhes/hlthins/chldhins.html .
CONTACT: Molly Hawkins, 312-729-4135, Beth Engelmann, 312-729-4121, or Nancy Izquierdo, 630-623-7555, all for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
SOURCE: Ronald McDonald House Charities
Contact: Molly Hawkins, 312-729-4135, Beth Engelmann, 312-729-4121, or
Nancy Izquierdo, 630-623-7555, all for Ronald McDonald House Charities
Website: http://www.rmhc.org/