CHRISTUS Healthy Living Mobile Clinics receive Excellence Award for ZERO Deficiencies from Houston Health Department's Texas Vaccines for Children Program

CHRISTUS Healthy Living Mobile Clinics, one of six ministry programs supported by CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare, were the recipients of the Excellence Award for ZERO Deficiencies from the Texas Vaccines for Children Program (TVFC) for 2016.

Texas Vaccines for Children Program works in collaboration with different agencies in Houston/Harris County, guaranteeing the availability of vaccines at no cost to providers, in order to immunize children (birth – 18 years of age) who meet eligibility requirements. Over 580 providers are currently enrolled in the TVFC in Houston/Harris County and CHRISTUS Healthy Living Mobile Clinic were of the 120 awarded for the 2016 year.

CHRISTUS Healthy Living Mobile Clinics were required to meet several criteria to be considered for the award, including successful storage and handling of patient documentation and immunizations and following and creating contingency plans and exits for the clinics.

Texas Vaccines for Children also requires the Mobile Clinics to complete Vaccine Storage & Handling modules of the “You Call the Shots” web-based training, submit TVFC Provider Agreements and certificates, register and attend orientations and schedule site visits with a TVFC Representative to inspect the vaccine storage equipment.

According to the Houston Health Department, Texas leads the nation in the number of uninsured and underinsured children. Many of these children are not receiving the complete series of immunizations required to protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Under TVFC, the following groups of children are eligible to receive free vaccines:

• Uninsured or underinsured children,
• Children who are covered by CHIP,
• Children who are of Native American or Native Alaskan heritage, and
• Children on Medicaid.

Together, TVFC and CHRISTUS Healthy Living Mobile Clinics provide innumerable benefits to families and to the people of Houston and Harris County. With the support of the TVFC, the Mobile Clinics are removing barriers to immunizations for children who might otherwise remain excluded from care.