Child medical care on the move throughout Toledo
TOLEDO – If you are looking to access routine medical services for your child close to home, a visit to the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile clinic in your neighborhood could be a convenient solution.
Care Mobile provides a way for families to get immunizations, well-child checks, mental health assessment, nutrition counseling, and hearing and vision screening across the Toledo area on a drop-in basis.
All children from newborns to 17 are welcome, although the service is primarily designed for those aged six and younger.
“While this program is not meant to replace regular visits to a doctor, it does provide an entry point into a regular pattern of health care for children,” ProMedica says on its website.
One of the most popular services has been school and sports physicals.
“Right at the beginning of school is our busiest time,” Pamela Weber, office manager for the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, said, explaining that local doctors are sometimes booked three months out for those appointments.
Ronald McDonald House Charities has been in the Toledo area since 1982, providing comfort and assistance to families whose children are in medical treatment.
The Care Mobile program was introduced locally in August 2023, and started making rounds in October 2023 with one stop a week. The schedule stepped up in January, and the tour dates are now three times a week.
The response from families has been very good, said Stephanie Showers, pediatric nurse practitioner for Mobile Care. “They like that we are in the community. Some maybe don’t have transportation.”
Locally, Care Mobile is a partnership of ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities, Northwest Ohio. The medical professional staff is through ProMedica. A grant from Ronald McDonald House Global Foundation provided a grant for the vehicle cost.
Community agencies that host clinic stops include Lucas Metropolitan Housing and Toledo Lucas County Public Library.
“We have the buildings. We already have the people coming to us. It was a natural fit from the start,” said Allison Fiscus, adult services coordinator with the library system. “We’ve seen quite a bit of positive impact all around.”
Logistically, the mobile medical clinic is similar to a recreational travel vehicle with its pop-out extensions, running water and electricity. Inside there are two private patient exam rooms with testing equipment, such as a vision screening chart and weigh scales. A small waiting area features a bench seat adjacent to the check-in desk. There is also a small bathroom.
Driver Christina Cooper said she pulls up to a site about two hours before the clinic opens to get the vehicle moved in and set up for the day.
Fiscus said the size of the vehicle is why clinic stops that would normally be at the South Branch Library have been relocated temporarily. Nearby construction has made it difficult, if not impossible, for the Mobile Care vehicle to get through to its usual location in that neighborhood.
Ronald McDonald Care Mobile clinic services are open to all families in the community, regardless of ability to pay. An insurance card, identification and primary care provider information will be asked for at check-in. Those who need help getting on an insurance plan will get referrals on how to sign up for Medicaid or other programs.
In fact, some of those referrals will be toward other services at the library, as its facilities are also available for Community Health Navigator appointments and the University of Toledo’s Mobile Health Unit.
“One of our overreaching missions is to be a community hub,” Fiscus said. “We are supported by Lucas County, and that’s not something we take for granted in any form.”
Upcoming Mobile Care stops
The Ronald McDonald Mobile Care stop schedule can be found at promedica.org/caremobile, and also is shared by Toledo Lucas County Public Library and community agencies as neighborhood dates are confirmed.
Mobile Clinic dates and locations:
Dec. 3: 1-5 p.m., West Toledo Library, 1320 Sylvania Ave., Toledo.
Dec. 4: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., South Library, 1736 Broadway St., Toledo.
Dec. 11: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Locke Library, 703 Miami St., Toledo.
Dec. 12: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Kent Library, 3101 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo.
Dec. 18: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sanger Library, 3030 W. Central Ave., Toledo.
Dec. 19: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Washington Library, 5560 Harvest Lane, Toledo.
Dec. 26: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Locke Library, 703 Miami St., Toledo.
Would you like to help?
Donations are welcome for Ronald McDonald Care Mobile and other services provided by the organization.
The wish list items include backpacks, school supplies and toiletries.
Details and a donation link are on the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Northwest Ohio, website.
