PITTSBURGH — People who don’t have the means to pay for doctor visits and insurance can get healthcare on the road.
Children’s Hospital Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is essentially a doctor’s office on wheels, serving families in the Pittsburgh area for more than a decade.
Channel 11 reporter Trisha Pittman found out why 27,000 families have trusted the service to care for their families over the past 13 years.
Ronald McDonald Mobile is free and makes stops in Pittsburgh communities five to six days a week, seeing 10 to 20 kids a day.
Operated on a $200,000 a year budget, Tracey Haten said it has been a blessing for her and her eight kids.
The vehicle provides services like immunizations, blood work, physicals and dental care, but Cheryl Krause, Care Mobile Manager, said the most important thing the truck has done is build trust as a first line of defense for parents.
"Often they'll go to the emergency room, and with us being there, sometimes, we can catch things before it ends up in the emergency room. It's also a savings to the parents," said Krause.
Worldwide, 46 Ronald McDonald Mobile vehicles are on the road, and $5 million in health care costs in the U.S. have been saved thanks to the service.
WPXI
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