Ten years and rolling strong

With 10 years in the rearview mirror, the Oklahoma Caring Foundation is revving up to use its new Caring Van. This new addition will play a large role in providing free immunizations to Tulsa area families. The vehicle, funded by Morningside Healthcare Foundation, will be revealed at 10 a.m. on June 26 at Tulsa Educare, 2511 E. 5th Place, Tulsa.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Caring Van is the primary focus of the Oklahoma Caring Foundation. The program has provided more than 130,000 immunizations and is a proud contributor to Oklahoma’s improved immunization ratings. According to National Immunization Surveys, the state moved from 44th to 25th in the nation for early childhood immunizations (19-35 months).

“The Caring Vans have been a very successful grassroots approach to meeting the health care needs of at-risk families,” said Beverly Binkowski, executive director, Oklahoma Caring Foundation. “We literally meet these families in the communities where they live and work.”

The new vehicle will support the Caring Van staff in providing consistent, year-round services to child care centers, schools and community events throughout the state. In addition to a new exterior design, added storage and an updated floor plan, the new van will provide its registered nursing staff with the latest amenities.

The vehicle will serve the Tulsa metropolitan area and replace a 9-year-old van currently in operation. “This new van will help us continue to connect Tulsa area residents to the resources they need to eliminate the barriers of inconvenient clinic hours, long wait times, transportation and cost,” Binkowski said.

All Caring Van immunizations are administered by a registered nurse from the city/county health department at child care facilities, schools and community events. Each child’s immunization records are entered into the Oklahoma State Immunization Information System, where they remain portable.

The Oklahoma Caring Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. It was established in 1994 to improve the health of Oklahoma children through vaccinations and access to basic health care.