June 29, 2004
Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Provides Health Care Services During Summer Months
Spokane Wash.: The Spokane Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a mobile health care service for children and youth, will continue to serve the needs of patients around Spokane and surrounding areas during the summer months. The Care Mobile will be offering primary medical services at all locations and dental services at one location this summer.
The Care Mobile, staffed by nurse practitioners from the Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing, provides treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, check-ups, immunizations, sports physicals, and vision and hearing screening to children from age 0 to 21. Dental services are also available during the summer and more often during the school year. Health care services are provided regardless of the ability of the patient to pay.
The Care Mobile will be located at various areas in the Spokane area throughout the summer months including special events, such as the Hubfest. This will be their second year at Hubfest, providing sports physicals, immunizations, regular check-ups, and their usual care services. The Care Mobile will be providing mobile health care services at locations in the Spokane Valley, Deer Park, Airway Heights, Cheney, and Bethel AME Church.
The schedule for the Care Mobile can be viewed on the Spokane Ronald McDonald Care Mobile website at www.spokanecaremobile.org. The most efficient way to make an appointment is to call the Care Mobile office at (509) 324-7291, and schedule appointments for the desired location, date, and time. The Care Mobile also welcomes walk-ins, although they cannot guarantee an immediate opening.
Along with regular check ups, the Care Mobile will be offering dental services at the Bethel AME Church location. “Given the diversity in the locations of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile this summer, we hope to see at least 700 patients by the end of August,” says Chris Riebe, Ronald McDonald Care Mobile director and an advanced registered nurse practitioner at the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing.
The Spokane Ronald McDonald Care Mobile began operations in Sept. 2002. The mission of the program is to improve health outcomes and access to continuity of care for medically underserved children and their families. Although the number of patients has grown steadily, the hope of more children being treated, consistent and expanded funding and service region expansion is a continuing goal.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is a community outreach service of the Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing, Inland Northwest Health Services and receives support from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane, Spokane McDonald’s Restaurant and several local funding partners. The Spokane Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is one of only 25 such units worldwide and is the only unit in the Pacific Northwest.
A complete listing of summer service location days and times are posted on the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Web site at http://www.spokanecaremobile.org/. Appointments should be scheduled by phone by calling (509) 324-7291.
The new fall location schedule of the will be posted on the Web site at the end of August. This will include the various school locations, the health care offerings and dental services.
Established in 1968, the Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing is the nation’s first, oldest and most comprehensive nursing education consortium. The College of Nursing offers baccalaureate, graduate and professional development course work to nursing students enrolled through Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, Washington State University and Whitworth College. Each year, the college educates more than 650 graduate and upper-division undergraduate students and prepares more entry-level nurses than any other educational institution in the region. For more information about the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing, visit the college Web site at nursing.wsu.edu.