On Wednesday, August 6, during the week of back-to-school registration and schedule pick-up, Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) will be providing a convenient opportunity for Westerville City Schools students to get required immunizations and other medical services through its Care Mobile. The vehicle will be parked in the lot of the hosting school, Cherrington Elementary, which is located at 522 Cherrington Road in Westerville, from 9:00 a.m. - noon; and from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. A full-time doctor, nurse, and registration specialist from NCH will be on board to provide immunizations and other healthcare services. Scheduling appointments in advance is encouraged, and can be made now by contacting NCH staff member Trisha Strader at 614/722-4957, or by e-mailing Trisha.Strader@NationwideChildrens.org .
One of the school district’s primary goals is to help parents keep their children’s immunizations up-to-date according to state law requirements. The Nationwide Children’s Care Mobile offers a full range of immunizations including DPT and MMR vaccines for children entering kindergarten to the latest Tdap immunization required for current and incoming middle school students. Students should contact their primary care providers and medical home for these services. Although the Care Mobile is not designed to take the place of the student’s primary care physician, it is a place where students’ medical needs can be addressed on an as-needed basis, and is there for all others who may not have a medical home or need a service.
The cost of healthcare services on the Care Mobile are comparable to a typical doctor visit. Parents must present their insurance or Medicaid card at the time of service. Sliding fees and other financial resources are also available to eligible families. No child will be turned away due to a family’s inability to pay. There are also consent and release information forms to be completed by the parent at the time of the visit. If a student has previously received services at a Nationwide Children’s Hospital or any of its clinics, the child’s information is already in the network.
Don’t miss this opportunity to schedule an appointment time to get your child’s updated immunizations or schedule well-checks. The mobile unit will also address any current illness concerns as time allows. Please bring any vaccine records you may have, if possible. All students within the Westerville School District are invited to schedule an appointment time to receive services from the NCH Care Unit on August 6.
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Mobile Care Center has been serving the children of Central Ohio for more than 12 years including more than 30 Columbus Public Schools and the YWCA Family Shelter. It is a pediatric clinic on wheels, fully staffed with a doctor and a nurse from Nationwide Children’s. The Center is designed to bring a doctor out to the kids and eliminate geographical barriers. Pediatric primary care services may include:
- Immunizations
- Well-Child and sick visits
- Body Mass Index calculations and nutrition counseling
- Developmental screenings
- Vision, hearing, and lead screening
- Blood collection and point of care testing
- Childhood health education and injury prevention education
- Specialty care referrals including mental health and social service referrals