Ronald McDonald cares

The Ronald McDonald Caremobile was out in Crane and Odessa last week, but the red-haired clown was nowhere to be found.

Nurses Tamara Bavousett and Krista Hudson filled the void by helping heal sick kids in the community as well as giving out immunizations and physical exams.

The Caremobile provides children with quality health care while being affordable to parents.

"It's more cost effective than other places," Bavousett said. "We offer vaccinations like HPV and meningeal coccus vaccines that aren't offered everywhere and are only $5."

"We park at different places in town to get the word out there," she said.

And word certainly is getting around.

The Caremobile traveled 2,855 miles and has helped 30 patients last week.

One of their patients Thursday was Natalie Ornelas, 5, who had a rash from eczema.

"My daughter had a rash, and we didn't know what it was," Maria Ornelas said.

Maria Ornelas said the nurses checked her daughter completely and prescribed ointments to help her daughter's rash heal.

Ornelas said the nurses in the care mobile treated her and her daughter well.

"They talk to you, they explain it to you and they take their time," she said.

Maria Ornelas said she prefers going to the Caremobile instead of waiting at the doctor's office.

"I like the way they treat me and my kids, and it's not expensive like at a doctor's office. And it doesn't take long," she said.

Bavousett said they get a lot of patients like Ornelas who don't like going to a clinic. Half of their patients don't have any health care at all, she said.

"People just drive by and come in. They see it and they stop by," Bavousett said. "They have been trickling in all day."

But when people do stop by, they tend to keep coming back.

Ornelas had already been to the Caremobile in April and she's planning on taking her 18-month-old daughter, Mia, there to get her immunization shots.

Repeat patients are good signs for Bavousett and Hudson, because it's fulfilling the purpose of a traveling health center - for people to get out and get the health services they need.

WHAT IS IT?

>> The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile provides medical care for children up to 18 years old.

>> The Care Mobile is at a different location from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Monday through Thursday.

>> Immunizations are $5 and physical exams and sick child visits are $15.

>> To make an appointment call 640-5437 or 640-1713.

>> Walk-ins are welcome also. 

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

>> Monday: Odessa College at 201 W. University Blvd.

>> Tuesday: Bowie Junior High School at 500 W. 21 St.

>> Wednesday: Lowe's at 1107 E. 42nd St.

>> Thursday: Immanuel Baptist Church at 4020 E. University Blvd.