Especially considering how COVID-19 has impacted our community, we want to make sure that children are healthy for the upcoming school year,” said Al Torres, MD, Medical Director of the Pediatric Programs at the Partnerships for Nemours, and Board Member of Shepherd’s Hope. “Our dedicated providers offer this service year after year to the neediest children in our area.
Orlando, FL - (July 6, 2020) – Shepherd’s Hope and Nemours Children’s Health System will provide free back-to-school physicals for local uninsured and under-insured children at four Shepherd’s Hope Health Centers from July 27 - August 6. This is the seventh year this community service has been provided by the partnership.
The free back-to-school physicals include general health assessments and sports physicals with a Nemours specialist, as well as vision and hearing screenings at select locations.
“Especially considering how COVID-19 has impacted our community, we want to make sure that children are healthy for the upcoming school year,” said Al Torres, MD, Medical Director of the Pediatric Programs at the Partnerships for Nemours, and Board Member of Shepherd’s Hope. “Our dedicated providers offer this service year after year to the neediest children in our area.”
To qualify, children up to age 18 must be uninsured or under-insured. Appointments are necessary. Following the completion of their physical exam, they will receive the required Florida Department of Health form (DOH 3040) which meets the state requirement for enrollment in public or private school.
Funding to support this initiative is being provided by a grant from the Harper Family Charitable Foundation which provides for the health, education, maintenance and well-being of disabled children and adults of all ages in the Central Florida area.
“Before the pandemic, nearly 30,000 children were without health insurance in Central Florida. We know with over 300,000 people going on unemployment in May that there is an escalated need for free back-to-school physicals this year. Families are struggling with losing their jobs and their healthcare coverage,” said Pam Gould, Shepherd’s Hope President and CEO. “We are so appreciative of the partnership with the Nemours Children’s Health System team and the financial support of the Harper Family Charitable Foundation to serve as many children in Central Florida as possible.”
Editor's Note: Photos and Downloadable Video Interviews and B-roll are available.
For eligibility assessment and appointments, call 407-876-6699 ext. 246. Se Habla Español. For further information, visit www.ShepherdsHope.org.
Physicals will be conducted at these Shepherd's Hope Health Centers:
West Orange Health Center
455 Ninth St., Winter Garden
Monday, July 27, 1-4 pm
Saturday, August 1, 11 am-2 pm
Thursday, August 6, 1-4 pm
Longwood Health Center
600 N. US Highway 17-92, Longwood
Tuesday, July 28, 9 am-12 pm
Thursday, July 30, 4-7 pm
Wednesday, August 5, 1-4 pm
Dr. Diebel, Jr. Memorial Health Center
9837 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando
Tuesday, August 4, 4-7 pm
Thursday, August 6, 4-7 pm
Downtown Health Center
101 S. Westmoreland Drive, Orlando
Wednesday, July 29, 5-7 pm
Monday, August 3, 5-7 pm
###
About Shepherd’s Hope | Shepherd’s Hope provides free primary care and specialty care medical services, education and wellness programs to uninsured and underinsured men, women and children in Central Florida. The non-profit organization has provided approximately 300,000 free patient visits and services since 1997. In 2019, Shepherd’s Hope provided 54,772 free patient visits and medical services thanks to partnerships with 3,000 licensed medical and general volunteers, three community hospital systems, 100 diagnostic/secondary providers and numerous multi-faith partners. Patients are served at its five Central Florida service facilities in Longwood, East Orlando, Downtown Orlando, Ocoee and Winter Garden. 95 percent of donations directly support patient services. Details: www.shepherdshope.org.
About Nemours Children’s Health System | Nemours is an internationally recognized children's health system that owns and operates the two free-standing children’s hospitals: the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Fla., along with outpatient facilities in five states, delivering pediatric primary, specialty and urgent care. Nemours also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, KidsHealth.org, and offers on-demand, online video patient visits through Nemours CareConnect. Nemours ReadingBrightstart.org is a program dedicated to preventing reading failure in young children, grounded in Nemours’ understanding that child health and learning are inextricably linked, and that reading level is a strong predictor of adult health.
Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, Nemours provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to families in the communities it serves. Details: www.nemours.org
Nemours has a number of service regions. Selecting your region will help us show you the right contact information and the most relevant content for you.