The Junior League of Houston, Inc. and Texas Children’s Hospital Teamed Up to Immunize Over 1,000 Children

Houston, TX (October 20, 2003) – The SuperKids Mobile Pediatric Clinic, a health clinic on
wheels, provided free immunizations to over 1,000 uninsured children throughout the Houston
area this summer. The Junior League of Houston Inc., Texas Children’s Hospital and other
partners sent the SuperKids Mobile Pediatric Clinic to locations around Houston to provide vital
immunization services to area children in order to prepare them for the new school year.
Parents and children were excited to see the brightly colored, whimsically decorated
SuperKids Mobile Clinic at various locations, including the Southwest/Gulfton and Spring
Branch areas. In addition to offering vaccinations, the Clinic also offered well child visits.
Several community centers, including Spring Branch Family Service Center and La Rosa Family
Services, invited the SuperKids Mobile Clinic to their community events to offer this crucial
service to families in their area. According to Dr. Anu McDonald, a pediatrician with Texas
Children’s Hospital who staffs the SuperKids Clinic, “We were thrilled to see the increased
turnout this year and were so glad that such a significant number of children will be protected
from infections that could lead to life threatening diseases. We need to continue in our mission of
getting health insurance and medical homes for these children”
The Junior League of Houston, Inc. donated the SuperKids Clinic to the City of Houston
in 2000 to help make healthcare and health education more accessible to all Houston-area
children. The mobile clinic is staffed by a team of healthcare professionals from Texas
Children’s Hospital dedicated to providing quality health services to children. The team includes
a pediatrician, nurse, clinical assistant, nurse practitioner and Junior League volunteers.

The SuperKids Pediatric Clinic is a collaboration among The Junior League of Houston,
Inc., Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, the City of Houston Health &
Human Services Department, the Houston Independent School District and Harris County
Hospital District. These organizations collaborate to provide education and assistance about
health issues to the community. Through the clinic, Junior League volunteers work closely with
community groups, schools and residents to better understand and address community needs.
“The Junior League is glad to be part of this collaboration working to protect ALL of
Houston’s children from vaccine preventable diseases, and we are pleased to be able to provide
parents with convenient access to free immunization services through the SuperKids Mobile
Clinic,” states Mary Beth Staine, President, The Junior League of Houston, Inc. “We plan to
continue to work with our community partners to meet the critical need for timely immunizations
for Houston’s children.”
During the school year, the clinic serves children and their siblings at 12 HISD
elementary schools. The clinic provides free well-child exams, treats minor illnesses and offers
vaccinations for students and their siblings who are under the age of 18 and lack health
insurance. Pediatricians perform minor lab work and dispense medication in the clinic. The
clinic’s mission is to find each child a permanent medical home by providing medical services
and helping every parent with applications for health insurance.
For more information on The Junior League of Houston, Inc., visit
www.juniorleaguehouston.org. For more information on Texas Children’s Hospital, visit
www.texaschildrenshospital.org.