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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2003Contact: Paul Harasim, (832) 355-3897, or Josh Pletting, (832) 355-4195

St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities Facilitates Mobile Health Forum for Child Immunizations

(HOUSTON) – The Greater Houston Mobile Health Forum (MHF), which is facilitated by St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, has developed a coordinated summer calendar for back to school immunizations. Officials of the forum are encouraging Houston parents to start the immunization process early and not wait to get their children protected from deadly illnesses.

“St. Luke’s is passionately committed to its mission to advance community health,” said Diane Pavey, director of Community Support at St. Luke’s, “and through these mobile units, we’re able to partner with other organizations to provide immunizations and maintain healthy neighborhoods.”

The MHF, which will have seven mobile units coordinating immunization service delivery in the city this summer, is a one-of-a-kind regional resource. No other metropolitan area in the nation has a group of 18 mobile units working together in a coordinated model for vaccine delivery like the MHF.

A consolidated MHF calendar for back to school immunizations is located at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Charities website at www. slehc. org. The summer calendar shows the days, times and locations where parents can access back to school immunizations early and avoid the last minute rush to enter the children in school.

Upon its inception in 1999, the MHF elected as its first task to develop a comprehensive mobile service survey to determine who was providing what services, when, where and for whom. The results of the survey helped identify opportunities for a creative program interface and enhanced delivery of mobile health services. Overall, the forum sees its purpose as:

• compiling on a regular basis a comprehensive overview of services based on the survey and communicating the results;
• working out ways to avoid duplication of services, address unmet needs and achieve economies with existing resources;
• bringing forward in collaborative fashion the case for development of additional resources; and
• helping to raise public awareness and support for the unique role of mobile health outreach in our community.

For more information on MHF resources, visit St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities website at www.slehc.org.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System is a comprehensive health system that meets the primary and tertiary healthcare needs of the community. Established by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, the System includes the flagship St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, St. Luke’s Community Health Services, KS Management Services, LLP, and St. Luke’s Community Medical Center (CMC)-The Woodlands. St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital is home to the Texas Heart^® Institute. The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s is consistently ranked in the top 10 cardiovascular centers in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.

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