Plano is one of the wealthiest cities in Texas, but hidden behind its image of affluent living, Plano has some of the same challenges that most cities have with the growing number of low-income, uninsured patients.

In 1988, pediatrician Allan R. deVilleneuve, MD, began volunteering his Wednesdays in the Plano Head Start Program, not realizing he would be making an impact on the Collin County uninsured population. As Dr deVilleneuve examined the children, he became more aware that most of them had primary care medical needs that were growing more serious simply because the child's family had no insurance and could not afford the needed medical care. With the help of a Plano school nurse, Carla Bateman, RN, Dr deVilleneuve organized a clinic that treats children of low-income families who have no medical insurance. With seed money from the Rotary Club and a small house donated by First Baptist Church of Plano, the Plano Children's Medical Center opened in October 1991.

Some nine years later, the clinic sees an average of 90 patients a week for the six hours it is open each week. Since 1991, the clinic has provided more than $3 million in free medical care to low-income children of Collin County. The clinic is open Wednesdays and Thursdays starting at 6 PM. Patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Well-baby checkups are given on the last Tuesday of every month. The clinic's evening hours allow parents to handle their children's medical needs after work. And because children can receive treatment sooner than if they had to wait for their parents to take off work, children get well sooner and, thus, miss fewer days of school. According to Susan Schuler, the clinic's executive director, the average income of the families at Plano Children's Medical Clinic is $12,000 a year-quite a drop from Plano's median average of $86,919.

Shortly after the clinic opened, family practitioner Cynthia Sessions, MD, moved to Plano from South Carolina and read an article about the clinic. She says she liked the fact the clinic was a grass-roots effort and no government "red tape" was involved in providing care to needy patients. "I thought volunteering at the clinic would be a great way to get to know people in the community and would allow me to interact with my new colleagues," she says, adding that besides being so beneficial to its patients, the clinic is well-run and organized.

The clinic has faced many difficulties since opening, but the most challenging blow came on Dec 30, 1999, when a fire significantly damaged the clinic and forced it to close until temporary facilities could be arranged. Before the catastrophe, plans already had begun for construction of a larger clinic. The clinic since has been operating in space donated by the Collin County Health Department, and plans are underway to rebuild the clinic on its original site.

In addition to the volunteer physicians on site, other healthcare providers such as psychologists, speech therapists, and opticians accept pro bono referrals in their offices. If you would like to make an impact on the lives of the underserved children of Collin County at Plano Children's Medical Center, contact Connie Webster, DCMS director of community service, at 214-948-3622 or connie@dallas-cms.org.

ADDENDUM:

Plano Children's Medical Center, in operation since October 1991, recently opened its new clinic at 1407 14th Street in Plano. The clinic provides quality medical care for children of low-income families who have no medical insurance.

Medical Director Allan R. deVilleneuve, MD and Executive Director Susan Shuler in the newly opened Plano Children's Medical Clinic.