According to PediPlace President and CEO Larry Robins,
“PediPlace’s mission is making healthcare a reality for every kid!
“Health insurance is a luxury that thousands of North Texans do not have, which means thousands of children are potentially going without routine, but important, healthcare. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey states that 16% (109,452) of Dallas County children and 5% (12,533) of Denton County children under the age of 19 were without health coverage. According to the Texas Medical Association, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in the nation.
“In addition, as of September 2022, 4.26 million Texas children receive Medicaid/CHIP benefits according to Medicaid.gov. The difficulty for these families is that while they have coverage, they are met with fewer physicians who are willing to accept these benefits. Consequently, many residents seek primary-care treatment in area emergency rooms, resulting in increased healthcare costs and higher volumes of preventable and avoidable cases populating ER waiting rooms.
“PediPlace is a nonprofit pediatric healthcare practice that provides quality, cost-effective, accessible, primary pediatric healthcare and mental health services to North Texas children from birth through 18 years of age who are uninsured or who receive Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits regardless of economic, geographic or cultural barriers. We are designated by the State of Texas as a site serving a medically underserved population, and PediPlace is the only organization of its type, size, and scope in North Texas not affiliated with a hospital system. We provide underserved families with a medical home that allows them to bring their children to a friendly and trusted place for routine care, immunizations, and a comforting helpful clinic when they are sick.
“In addition, we provide integrated mental health services and therapy within our primary care framework to address risk factors in PediPlace patients. Through our clinic sites, we provide a stable medical home environment staffed by friendly, compassionate, skilled professionals, including a pediatrician, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, and a licensed professional counselor.
“In 2023, we expect to provide primary pediatric healthcare services to nearly 6,000 patients. This represents a 5% increase in patients and office visits compared to 2022. Included are 894 uninsured children at a cost of $345,847.
“Healthy children mean a healthier community with better students, better employees, and better lives. PediPlace has served the North Texas community for 29 years and is committed to serving uninsured and underinsured children for many years to come.
“PediPlace has participated in Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day since 2009, raising over $140,000 from the generosity of the community. Through North Texas Giving Day, not only have we raised funds to support our programs, but we’ve raised awareness about our mission. In addition, we’ve formed partnerships with other nonprofits- collaborating on how to best serve the underserved. We greatly value our relationship with Communities Foundation of Texas and look forward to many more years of collaboration and future North Texas Giving Days.”
* Photo credit: Hannah Hix ** Photo provided by PediPlace
In 14 years, Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day has pumped more than $503 million into the North Texas community. In 2022, more than $62.6 million was raised through 94,385 donors benefiting over 3,210 area nonprofits.
On Thursday, September 21, support PediPlace by clicking here and spreading the word. #NTxGivingDay2023
Leave a Reply