Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Aidmatrix Visits PediPlace in Lewisville, Texas

In 1995, PediPlace was only open a couple days a week and was completely reliant on volunteer doctors and nurses. Today, this not-for-profit pediatric clinic is open 5 days a week, and operates with 4 full-time nurse practitioners, a full operational staff and a half-time pediatrician. Larry Robbins, the Clinic Executive Director, gave us a full tour of the building and a full explanation of the history and the incredible care that is provided by PediPlace. When we first stepped through the doors and into the staff area (consisting of the kitchen, conference room, office, files, etc) I imagined the patient area was just as small and crowded. But as the tour proceeded, and we got to see all 16 exam rooms, and I realized that PediPlace staff dealt with the clutter and uncomfortable workspace so that their continuously growing number of patients could be comfortable.



PediPlace is a member of the National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC). What separates PediPlace from other similar medical clinics is that they exclusively cater to children, from birth to 18. They serve children who are uninsured or who receive Medicaid or CHIP benefits. CHIP is the Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides health insurance to all uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance.



Currently, PediPlace sees 90-100 patients each day, all on an appointment system. This year they will be seeing their most ever patients, with a projected total of 63,000. The clinic staff makes sure that newborns are seen for all their regular check-ups, and they teach parents the benefit of bringing their babies in when they are healthy, not just when they are sick.

I really enjoyed getting to spend some time visiting a place that Aidmatrix helps, and to see them in action. Each staff member we spoke with was extremely grateful to Aidmatrix for the donated and discounted medical supplies that they are able to order through our technology, FreeClinicLink™.

I cannot wait for my next visit to see how we are able to help our partners do the incredible work that they do.

Graham Caywood
Aidmatrix Program Specialist

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