Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Provides Summer Health Care Services

SPOKANE, Wash. – A mobile health care service for children and youth, the Spokane Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, 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.   

Staffed by nurse practitioners from the Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing, the Care Mobile provides treatment for minor illnesses and injuries, check-ups, immunizations, sports physicals, and vision and hearing screening to children up to age 21. Dental services are also available during the summer, although less frequently than during the school year. Health care services are provided by nurse practitioners regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.   

The RMCM will be located at various locations in the Spokane area throughout the summer months including special events, such as all the Hubfest events held at Sacajawea (July 13-14), Garry (July 27-28), Chase (July 29-Aug.1), and Glover (Aug. 4-5) middle schools and Rogers High School (July 20-21). This will be the second year the RMCM will provide services at Hubfest, including sports physicals, immunizations, regular check-ups and well health care services. 

The Care Mobile will provide mobile health care services at locations in the Spokane Valley, Deer Park, Airway Heights, Cheney and Bethel AME Church. 

To make an appointment, 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 staff cannot guarantee an immediate opening.

Along with regular check ups, the RMCM will offer dental services at the Bethel AME Church location. “Given the diversity in the locations of the Care Mobile this summer, we hope to see at least 700 patients by the end of August,” said Chris Reibe, RMCM director and an advanced registered nurse practitioner at the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing.

          

The Spokane RMCM began operations in September 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 RMCM is a community outreach service of the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing, Inland Northwest Health Services and receives support from the Ronald McDonald House and Charities of Spokane, Spokane McDonald’s restaurants and several local funding partners. The Spokane RMCM 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 RMCM Web site at www.spokanecaremobile.org. The fall location schedule will be posted on the Web site at the end of August. The schedule will include specific dates for school and community locations, health and dental care 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, WSU 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.

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