Pediatric Mobile Services Program
Care on Wheels
Virtua's Pediatric Mobile Services provides children from infancy to age six in communities throughout South Jersey with health services they need.
The fully-equipped program on wheels offers a range of services, including dental and developmental screenings, blood lead level testing, lead poisoning education, flu shots, back-to-school physicals, vision and hearing screenings, health education, community resources, and referrals to specialized services.
Call 609-304-0151 to schedule an appointment.
Calendar of Screenings and Clinics
Check out our monthly calendar to see days/times when Virtua Pediatric Mobile Services will be coming to a neighborhood near you. Please note changes to schedule and check back regularly for updates.
Friday, March 1
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Winslow Township Elementary School #3, 131 Sicklerville Road, Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Monday, March 4
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Billingsport Elementary School, 441 Nassau Ave., Paulsboro, 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, March 5
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Camden KAPS, 700 N. 7th St., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Wednesday, March 6
Developmental Screenings - Respond Inc.-Fairview, 3001 Fenwick Road, Camden, 9 am - Noon
Thursday, March 7
Dental Screenings - Acelero Learning Center-Kroc Center, 1865 Harrison Ave., Suite 1, Camden, 9 am - Noon
Friday, March 8
Physicals - KIPP Hatch Middle School, 1875 Park Blvd., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Monday, March 11
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Billingsport Elementary School, 441 Nassau Ave., Paulsboro , 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, March 12
Physicals - Mi Casita Daycare, 551 Spruce St., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Wednesday, March 13
Developmental Screenings - El Centro Comunal Borincano Day Care, 438 Martin Luther King Blvd., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Thursday, March 14
Dental Screenings - Acelero Learning Center, 804 N. 27th St., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Friday, March 15
Physicals - El Centro Comunal Borincano Day Care, 438 Martin Luther King Blvd., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Saturday, March 16
Physicals - KIPP Hatch Middle School, 1875 Park Blvd., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Monday, March 18
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Billingsport Elementary School, 441 Nassau Ave., Paulsboro, 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, March 19
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Over the Rainbow CDC, 146 Route 130 Bordentown, 9 am - Noon
Wednesday, March 20
Developmental Screenings - El Centro Comunal Borincano Day Care, 438 Martin Luther King Blvd., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Thursday, March 21
Dental Screenings - Magowan Elementary, 405 Cherrix Ave., Edgewater Park, 9 am - Noon
Friday, March 22
Lead Screenings - Over the Rainbow CDC, 146 Route 130 Bordentown, 9 am - Noon
Saturday, March 23
Dental Screenings - Uncommon Schools Camden Prep-Mt. Ephriam Campus, 1575 Mt Ephraim Ave., Camden, 11 am – 4 pm
Monday, March 25
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Billingsport Elementary School, 441 Nassau Ave., Paulsboro, 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, March 26
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Winslow Township School 2, 125 1St. Ave. Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Wednesday, March 27
Developmental Screenings - El Centro Comunal Borincano Day Care, 438 Martin Luther King Blvd., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Thursday, March 28
Dental Screenings - Camden KAPS, 700 N. 7th St., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Friday, March 29
Closed for Good Friday
Monday, April 1
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Respond Inc.-Fairview, 3001 Fenwick Road, Camden, 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, April 2
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Respond Inc.-Bank St., 155 Marlton Ave., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Thursday, April 4
Dental Screenings - Acelero Learning-Centerville, 1475 S. 8th St., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Friday, April 5
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Connect Plus Therapy, 1 Allison Dr., Cherry Hill, 9 am - Noon
Monday, April 8
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Calvary Hill Preschool, 535 Mullica Hill Rd., Glassboro, 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, April 9
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Winslow Township Elementary School #3, 131 Sicklerville Road, Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Wednesday, April 10
Developmental Screenings - Winslow Township Elementary School #4, 541 Kali Road, Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Thursday, April 11
Dental Screenings - Acelero-Clementon, 195 New Freedom Road, Clementon, 9 am - Noon
Friday, April 12
Physicals - Mastery High School, 800 Erie St., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Saturday, April 13
Dental Screenings - Gloucester High School, 1300 Market St., Gloucester, 10 am - 2 pm
Monday, April 15
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Winslow Township Elementary School #3, 131 Sicklerville Road, Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, April 16
Lead Screenings - Over the Rainbow CDC, 146 Route 130 Bordentown, 9 am - Noon
Wednesday, April 17
Developmental Screenings - Winslow Township Elementary School #4, 541 Kali Road, Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Thursday, April 18
Dental Screenings - Magowan Elementary, 405 Cherrix Ave., Edgewater Park, 9 am - Noon
Friday, April 19
Hearing & Vision - Over the Rainbow CDC, 146 Route 130 Bordentown, 9 am - Noon
Saturday, April 20
Dental Screenings - Spring into Health Community Fair: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 2 S. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood (Former Rite Aid Parking Lot), 10 am - 2 pm
Monday, April 22
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Winslow Township Elementary School #3, 131 Sicklerville Road, Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, April 23
Physicals - Dudley Elementary School, 2250 Berwick St., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Wednesday, April 24
Developmental Screenings - Winslow Township Elementary School #4, 541 Kali Road, Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Thursday, April 25
Dental Screenings - Mosaic Early Learning, 345 Chews Landing Road, Lindenwold, 9 am - Noon
Friday, April 26
Physicals - Camden High School, 1700 Park Blvd., Camden, 9 am - Noon
Saturday, April 27
Dental Screenings - Baldwin Elementary School, 3901 Sharon Terrace, Pennsauken Township, 10 am - 2 pm
Monday, April 29
Hearing and Vision Screenings - Winslow Township Elementary School #3, 131 Sicklerville Road, Sicklerville, 9 am - Noon
Tuesday, April 30
Physicals - Vets Memorial Family School, 800 N. 26 St., Camden, 9 am - Noon
About the Program
Such tremendous need exists in the medically underserved areas across Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, and our youngest residents, children from infancy to age six, often quietly suffer the most. Without access to routine exams and screenings, children with developmental delays and other health concerns are not identified early, so issues go undetected and unaddressed during a critical period of their development.
For children with limited access to nutritious foods and basic dental hygiene, it is often too late for healthy teeth by the time they get to kindergarten and see a dentist for the first time. Furthermore, children who do not receive their immunizations are not permitted to attend public school, leaving them at home for weeks and months at a time in aging houses and apartments that expose them to dangerous levels of lead.
Through a generous gift from the Joseph Lacroce Foundation, Virtua's Pediatric Mobile Services Program aims to address the health needs of children across South Jersey. The mobile program will bring pediatric services directly to those children who are living in medically underserved and impoverished urban and rural communities across Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties.
Virtua’s Pediatric Mobile Services Program team will provide a range of services, including:
- Developmental screenings
- Oral health education and dental screenings
- Flu Shots
- Lead blood level screenings
- Lead education for healthy homes
- Back-to-school physicals
- Vision and hearing screenings
- Community resources
- Referrals to specialized services
The Pediatric Mobile Services Program will also equip parents with the knowledge and resources they need to help their children grow and thrive.
Partnerships
Collaboration with community partners is the key to our success. Thank you to our partners:
- Acelero Head Start Centers
- CAMcare
- Camden County Board of Social Service
- Center for Family Services: Head Start Early Childhood
- Cherry Hill Free Clinic
- Cooper’s Ferry Partnership
- CP&P Camden South/North
- Hispanic Family Center
- Hope Works
- KROC Center
- New Jersey Early Intervention System (NJEIS)
- NJCEED
- Puerto Rican Unity for Progress
- Sambulance: Special Needs Safety Education
- Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative (SNJPC)
- Virtua Foundation
- Virtua Mobile Farmer’s Market
- Virtua Pediatric Early Intervention Program
- Volunteers of America—Anna Sample Complex
Powered by Philanthropy
This program is made possible, in part, by Virtua’s generous philanthropic partners. To make a gift, please visit GiveToVirtua.org.
Thank you to the following supporters:
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Health Facts
High quality early intervention services can change a child's developmental trajectory and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.
Services to young children who have or are at risk for developmental delays have been shown to positively impact outcomes across developmental domains, including health, language and communication, cognitive development and social/emotional development. Benefits to society include reducing economic burden through a decreased need for special education.
Early social/ emotional development and physical health provide the foundation upon which cognitive and language skills develop.
Decades of rigorous research show that children’s earliest experiences play a critical role in brain development. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has summarized this research:
- Neural circuits, which create the foundation for learning, behavior and health, are most flexible or “plastic” during the first three years of life. Over time, they become increasingly difficult to change.
- Persistent “toxic” stress, such as extreme poverty, abuse and neglect, or severe maternal depression can damage the developing brain, leading to lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and physical and mental health.
- The brain is strengthened by positive early experiences, especially stable relationships with caring and responsive adults, safe and supportive environments, and appropriate nutrition.
- Early social/ emotional development and physical health provide the foundation upon which cognitive and language skills develop.
- High quality early intervention services can change a child’s developmental trajectory and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.
- Intervention is likely to be more effective and less costly when it is provided earlier in life rather than later.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, tooth decay is among the most common chronic conditions of childhood. One in 5 children, aged five to 11, and 1 in 7 children, aged 12 to 19, have at least one untreated cavity.
These numbers are higher for children from minority and low-income families. African-American and Hispanic children are more likely than white children to have cavities in their primary (baby) teeth and are twice as likely as white children to have untreated cavities. The disparity in untreated cavities continues into the teen years.
A report by the Pew Charitable Trusts states that untreated tooth decay "can cause pain and infection that may lead to difficulty eating, speaking, socializing and sleeping, as well as poor overall health." Tooth decay can also contribute to low self-esteem and dental health problems.
Dental problems can also adversely affect both school attendance and performance. A report issued by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2000, estimated that more than 51 million school hours were lost annually due to dental-related illnesses.
Click here for more informationThere is no safe level of lead in children. As lead exposure continues to be an ongoing health challenge, it is important that parents take precautionary measures to keep their children safe and healthy. While exposure can damage a child’s learning and development, it can be prevented.
Lead can disrupt the normal growth and development of a child’s brain and central nervous system. While lead paint lead paint in homes built before 1978 remains the largest contributor to elevated blood lead levels in children, there are many different lead exposure sources, including water from leaded pipes and imported toys, candy, spices, jewelry, cosmetics, herbal remedies, and pottery.
The New Jersey Department of Health provides resources for parents to stay informed so child lead exposure can be avoided.
Who Is at Risk?
- Children under the age of 6 years because they are growing so rapidly and because they tend to put their hands or other objects into their mouths.
- Children from all social and economic levels can be affected by lead poisoning, although children living at or below the poverty line who live in older housing are at greatest risk.
- Children of some racial and ethnic groups and those living in older housing are disproportionately affected by lead. For example, 3% of black children compared to 1.3% of white children have elevated blood lead levels.
Contact Information
Virtua Pediatric Mobile Services
609-304-0151
pediatricmobileservices@virtua.org
Our Team
Monica Nolasco
Program Coordinator
mnolasco@virtua.org
Jennifer Brown
Driver/Courier
jbrown20@virtua.org
Kirsti Lim
Special Education Teacher/Developmentalist
klim@virtua.org
Debbie Vickers
Dental Hygienist
dvickers@virtua.org
Sue McCleery
Pediatric Nurse
smccleery@virtua.org
Kimberly Vicente
Community Health Worker
kvicente@virtua.org
Maria Emerson
Director, Rehabilitation Services
memerson@virtua.org
Caring for Children in Our Community
Making sure your child grows into a healthy adult starts from the moment they are born. Virtua’s Pediatric Mobile Services is dedicated to providing developmental screenings, essential health services and education to children in our community, at the convenience they need.