The first of its kind in the State of Georgia, Kids’-Doc-On-Wheels, Inc. (KDOW) provides comprehensive pediatric medical, dental and behavioral health care to children ages 0 to 18 who are under-served and under-insured. Services are provided in our state-of-the-art customized mobile unit, which is outfitted with two exam rooms, a restroom, lab, and patient check-in and waiting area. The mission of Kids’-Doc-On-Wheels is to ensure increased access to high quality and comprehensive pediatric care in children’s communities as well as their primary daily location – School.
Kids’-Doc-On-Wheels provides quality, comprehensive pediatric healthcare services to children and youth in their school or community setting. This includes public schools, early learning programs, after-school programs, summer camps. All of our services are provided by licensed, healthcare professionals including Pediatricians, Nurse Practitioners, Medical Assistants, Dentists, Dental Hygienists, and Social Workers. Children receive the same high quality and comprehensive care they would in a traditional pediatric medical or dental office. We have taken the walls off a Pediatric medical office practice and put it on wheels!
Our goals are twofold: (1) to improve academic performance, and (2) to decrease the number of days children miss from school. KDOW believes that when children are feeling good, they perform better academically.
· Medical – We offer a comprehensive array of quality services for well and sick visits. These include annual well child exams, immunizations, allergy testing and management, asthma treatment and management, diagnosis and treatment of chronic conditions including obesity, sports physicals, and more.
· Dental – We work to prevent and treat oral health problems, as well as promote healthy habits and happy smiles. We offer cleanings and check-ups, sealants, and other quality dental hygiene care.
· Behavioral Health – As an integral part of the health care management at KDOW, our Behavioral Health team consults with children and their families to assess mental health conditions and addictive illness. We employ Licensed Clinical Social Workers to provide therapy and consultation.
· Telemedicine – On the days when the KDOW mobile unit is not scheduled to physically be at a school site, children will still have access to our healthcare services via telemedicine. Our provider can see children who are sick through advanced technology that allows them to assess, diagnose and treat conditions remotely. This capability allows full-time access to students throughout the academic day.
· Health & Nutrition Education – KDOW provides a fun and engaging curriculum for students that address the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of healthy eating and lifestyles to appraise, protect and promote health. We offer friendly competitions among students that focus on exercise, healthy eating habits, and mindful thinking that encourage children to make better choices.
Who We Serve
KDOW provides services to over 6,000 children each year under the age of 18. The majority of children served live 100% or more below federal poverty rates and do not have adequate access to healthcare services. Additionally, the majority of these children live in households headed by a single parent, primarily women. Our current service sites include:
Dekalb County Public Schools District – launched with 4 schools
· Panola Way Elementary
· Snapfinger Elementary
· Fairington Elementary
· Flatrock Elementary
All of these schools are considered priority schools in Dekalb County. Each school has 100% free and reduced lunch, all have an enrollment of over 700 students, and are predominantly African American children.
Snapfinger Elementary School has the highest population of homeless children in the District, and also has a very high population of grandparents raising children. Additionally, Flatrock Elementary School has a high population of foster children enrolled in the school.
YMCA of Metro Atlanta
KDOW also has an agreement with the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta to serve children in their early learning and head start programs. The majority of the children served through these programs also live in households at or below 100% or more of the federal poverty rates. Additionally, the majority of these children live in households that receive food stamps and are enrolled in Medicaid.
Financial Investment
Our annual budget is just over $1.4 million. Kids’-Doc-On-Wheels, Inc. is a fiscally sponsored project of Oakhurst Medical Center - a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. To make a donation, please send to Oakhurst Medical Centers:
Oakhurst Medical Centers
In C/O Kids’-Doc-On-Wheels, Inc.
5582 Memorial Dr.
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
To ensure your donation is properly credited to KDOW, please be sure to indicate it is in support of Kids’-Doc-On-Wheels.
How You Can Help
We rely on the generous support of our community friends, donors, and volunteers to fulfill our mission for the children we serve. KDOW appreciates volunteers to assist with events, contributions to fund our work, and advocates to help spread the word about the critical necessity of accessible healthcare for all children, regardless of socio-economic status.
How to Reach Us
We would love to hear from you! If you would like to learn more about the work KDOW is doing in the community, please contact us via the methods listed below.
· Dr. Lynette Wilson-Phillips, Founder & Co-Medical Director – lwp@kidsdoconwheels.org
· Dr. Melinda Willingham, Co-Medical Director – mwillingham@kidsdoconwheels.org
Our Address: 4112 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 2, Clarkston, GA 30021
Our Phone: 404-574-2512 Our Website: www.kidsdoconwheels.org
