The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation has funded a new Ronald McDonald Care Mobile vehicle for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown.

The state-of-the-art pediatric primary care center on wheels, which was unveiled today at PPG Paints Arena, was funded through the sale of the Penguins’ “Love your Melon” beanies last season.

Developed via a partnership between RMHC Pittsburgh and Morgantown and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh since 2001, the Care Mobile is on the road 5-6 days a week providing services to 1,400 patients per year.

“After traveling 162,000 miles to hundreds of communities and caring for thousands of children, our original Care Mobile needed to be replaced,” said Cheryl Krause, Care Mobile Manager. “The new vehicle will enable us to continue to bring medical care to those who have difficulty accessing the services they need.”

Staffed by pediatricians, nurses, nurse practitioners and a respiratory therapist from Children’s, the vehicle provides wellness visits, immunizations, physicals, asthma care, hearing and vision screenings, lead screenings, sick visits and other care to medically underserved communities in Greater Pittsburgh.  The staff also provides information about community-based health education classes, teaches parents and guardians about healthy lifestyles and safety.

The 40-foot vehicle offers many new features including a power chair lift for accessibility, larger exam rooms, a patient education and waiting area, a private patient intake space, and triage room.  It also features a Penguins-themed exam room to provide distraction therapy while children, adolescents and young adults are receiving treatment.

“Kids are the future and kids need care,” said Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation President Dave Soltesz. “We are excited to be a part of bringing this new Care Mobile to the streets of our city and helping to provide a better quality of life for kids to have a healthy future.”