RMHCDC and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Host June 6th Event to Honor Year of Serving Students with Health Education Initiatives
Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Washington, DC (RMHCDC), a charity that works to ease the hardship of children’s illness on families through programs that directly improve the health and wellbeing of children, today celebrated the completion of the first year of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® focused on the FITNESS (Fun In Teaching Nutrition and Exercise to Successful Students) Program with an afternoon of fun activities, healthy snacks for children and tours of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile at Barnard Elementary School.
The FITNESS Program, operated in association with the Division of Community Pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, partners with five local schools in Washington, DC to deliver a curriculum focused on healthy eating and the importance of physical activity to students in grades K-8. Staffed with a Medical Director, Community Educator, Registered Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist, and in collaboration with school staff, the goal of the program is to help children and families gain the knowledge, tools, and motivation to achieve better health and to help reduce the incidence of childhood obesity and associated chronic disease.
“We feel it is vital to bring primary health care directly to children in their communities and are thrilled to be able to fill that need,” said Karen Torres, President and CEO of RMHCDC. “We are thankful for our wonderful partners at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital who have allowed us to reach beyond our Ronald McDonald Houses® and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms® to make a positive impact on the health and wellness of children at our partner schools.”
The FITNESS Program successfully piloted in Washington, D.C. during the 2017-18 school year and served over 2,200 students with health education initiatives. At Wednesday’s celebration, representatives from the schools, charity, and hospital spoke to the impact of this effort in the community; the FITNESS Program team gave cooking and activity demonstrations; awards were given to participating principals and students; and tours of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile were available.
Ronald McDonald Care Mobile services are provided in 40-foot long, 8-foot wide, state-of-the-art vehicles built specifically for delivering pediatric health care services. The KIDS Mobile Medical Clinic/Ronald McDonald Care Mobile includes two patient examination rooms, a laboratory, and reception and medical records areas; the FITNESS Program is housed on a mobile unit that can be configured for large or small group activities as well as individual consultations. Each Ronald McDonald Care Mobile costs approximately $500,000 to get on the road.
