Delivering Smiles to Children & Families

Stacy Hampson, RDH

The UMass Memorial Ronald McDonald Care Mobile (“Care Mobile”) was founded in August 2000. It was the first Care Mobile established in the United States through a partnership between UMass Memorial Health Care and the New England Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Care Mobile provides preventative dental and medical services to children and families in 10 under-served, largely non-English speaking, low income communities throughout Worcester.

The Care Mobile is operated by four core staff members: a Family Nurse Practitioner, Registered Dental Hygienist (who is also the Care Mobile’s backup driver), a Community Outreach Liaison, and a Clinic Coordinator – who also serve as certified Spanish interpreters, phlebotomists, and registration staff. Additional staff include four per-diem dental hygienists and part-time medical and dental directors.

Services are provided on the Care Mobile regardless of a patient’s insurance status. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. The staff also connects children and families to medical and dental “homes.” Referrals to food banks, housing, employment, and other community resources are offered to patients.

In addition to delivering direct medical and preventative dental services, we provide a dental school-based program twice a week that serves children in 22 elementary inner-city schools. Dental services include fluoride treatments, sealant applications, and dental exams. In 2019, the program provided almost 5,000 dental procedures and exams to Worcester’s most vulnerable public school children.

By treating the child directly at the school, we are removing barriers to care, such as lack of transportation or a parent not being able to take time off from work. It is not uncommon to see a child with severe dental decay or a child who has never seen a dentist before. It is well understood that dental pain due to tooth decay can affect a student’s ability to function in the classroom and is one of the leading causes of absenteeism. One of the biggest challenges to the dental health of the children of Worcester is the lack of fluoridation in Worcester’s water supply. Fluoride is important for prevention of dental decay.

Our future goals include expanding dental and medical services to area towns while continuing our outreach in Worcester communities of color, as well as in Worcester public schools. We will continue to strive and reach out to the most vulnerable children and their families to increase access to high quality dental and medical care, reduce health and dental care disparities, and create health equity for all.

Stacy Hampson, RDH Dental Programs Coordinator UMass Memorial Medical Center Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Email: Stacy.Hampson@umassmemorial.org