Austin Partnership Provides Health Care For Under-Served Children

NORTH AUSTIN, TX — Dell Children’s Medical Center has forged a partnership with Texas Women, Infants, and Children to provide mobile clinic health care at Northwest Austin WIC , officials announced this week.

The mobile health clinic is located at 8701 Research Blvd. Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 3, Dell Children’s Health Express mobile clinic will offer appointment-based primary are pediatric health care for WIC clients as a result of the initiative. The mobile clinic will be on-site at the Northwest Austin WIC office every first Tuesday of the month, officials said, adding that the Northwest Austin WIC office serves approximately 5,000 clients a month.

The Dell Children’s and WIC partnership yields health care for children who do not have a medical home and will provide comprehensive health care services for the under-served in the community, officials explained. The mobile unit is staffed with experts in pediatric care, including board-certified pediatricians, registered nurse, medical assistant and social work service providers. Services include well-child checks, including immunizations and acute care, health officials added.

“Every child deserves high-quality health care," Chris Born, president of Dell Children’s Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. "At Dell Children’s, it’s our honor to partner with WIC and broaden our reach to an under-served community. This monthly service will ensure that more children have direct access to comprehensive, ongoing health care services."

Added Dr. Michael Hole, Pediatrician onboard Dell Children’s Health Express: “The providers onboard the Dell Children’s Health Express are excited to expand our comprehensive services to families who will benefit from this partnership. I’m confident our visits at Northwest Austin WIC will help improve the health of children in need."

About WIC

Texas WIC helps 707,000 clients on average each month with infant, child and prenatal nutrition and breastfeeding support. WIC or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that is available to qualified pregnant women, new moms and families with children younger than five. Administered in Texas by HHSC, the program provides nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, referrals and nutritious foods.

“This is such an important partnership that will help families whose children are at critical periods of development by providing the nutrition they need now, and education that establishes the foundation for a lifetime of good health,” Texas WIC Director Edgar Curtis said in a prepared statement. “This is precisely what the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children is in place for.”

About Ascension Texas

In Texas, Ascension operates Providence Healthcare Network and Seton Healthcare Family, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and pediatric Level I trauma center, and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults. Seton partners with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and shares a common vision of transforming healthcare through a focus on quality and value. Serving Texas for 115 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is one of the leading non-profit and Catholic health systems in the U.S., operating 2,600 sites of care — including 150 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities — in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org and www.dellchildrens.net