LEWISVILLE – From the moment you step inside the doors of PediPlace, there’s a fragrance of hope in the air.
Hundreds of radiant-colored toys line the tables, including wooden toys and trucks that are a labor of love. A local man crafts the toys and donates them to the medical facility.
Then there are the employees. The ones tasked with treating some of the most vulnerable uninsured children in North Texas. They give the gift of healthcare to every child for free and they’re “making healthcare a reality for every kid.”
“We are creating primary, quality, accessible healthcare for anybody that comes through our doors and needs it,” said Larry Robins, who is President and CEO of PediPlace. He’s served the community there for 14 years.
He said the Mavs Foundation funds “will literally save lives.”
“We have grown enormously in the number of patients that we’re able to serve each year,” Robins shared. “We’ve grown enormously in our ability to look at the community and see families’ needs beyond healthcare. And we do our best to make sure that a family can access those services as well.”
PediPlace is a nonprofit pediatric healthcare practice for children from birth through 18 years of age who are uninsured or receive Medicaid or CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) benefits.
They provide healthcare to 6,000 children throughout North Texas, where primary pediatric healthcare is significant.
The organization is one of many local nonprofits that recently received a $25,000 grant from the Mavs Foundation. They got their checks at a recent Dallas Mavericks game (Dec. 3).
It was a special moment for everyone at PediPlace, and they tell us it’s been a rewarding experience to see their hard work and patients’ needs come into the spotlight.
“We were stunned to receive the Mavs Foundation grant this year,” said Robins. “The foundation has so many hard choices to make with countless worthwhile organizations in the community. So when we were selected, there was a great sense of relief and happiness. We’re just so thrilled, and we can definitely use the dollars because our program for uninsured children is what this grant makes possible.”
Last Tuesday, some Mavs staff visited PediPlace. We wanted to see the faces and lives this grant touches. Stepping into their world brings life and joy to ours.
We gazed at the walls splashed with brilliant colors to dazzle the young patients who are often scared when they arrive to visit doctors and nurses. The atmosphere felt fresh and inviting with a family-first approach.
Everything has a purpose.
Patients receive medical treatment, but the program is also designed to provide complete, comprehensive care. Children even get special donated toys and books, plus other unique gifts.
There are stuffed animals tucked in every crevice to promote a calming atmosphere, catered with kids in mind.
The staff is dedicated to lives of the patients and families they treat.
We smiled and celebrated with them — and reflected on the remarkable journeys of people like Cassandra Singleton. She’s the Director of Clinical Operations at PediPlace and joined the medical facility 25 years ago.
In 1992, the former mayor of Lewisville, Ann Pomykal, saw a compelling need to provide healthcare for under-served children in Denton County. She urged Dr. Mark Holt to do something about it, and he felt called to say yes. Dr. Holt recruited Dr. Darla Kincaid and they founded PediPlace in 1995.
At the time, Singleton was doing clinical rounds with Dr. Kincaid and joined PediPlace.
“She brought me over at that time, and we only had six exam rooms,” she said. “I was a new nurse and came over and fell in love with it. As they say, the rest is history, and I’ve been here since 1996.”
For nearly three decades, she’s watched countless children grow up and blossom into powerful and healthy individuals.
“I always tell people that I’m here because God put me here,” Singleton said. “There are other places I could be, but I don’t want to be anywhere else. This is a place where you really feel like you make a difference. These kids give so much to us, and I like to think we give a little back to them.”
It’s been an incredibly tumultuous last couple of years for PediPlace, but finally, a season of new beginnings is here.
“Our families come here, and they’re afraid,” Singleton said. “They come here and can ask us anything they want, and we give that information to them. Our clinic is unique because we are independent…and that gives us the ability to do the things we know are important to our community and kids here. We provide quality, compassionate, awesome medical care and make our patients feel like they are members of our family.”
This year the Mavs Foundation is on a mission to donate an astounding $1 million back to the community to empower local children, women, and families in need during the 2021-2022 season. The funding will include grants, special projects, and emergency aid.
“We are thrilled to announce our commitment of $1 million for the first time ever,” said Mavs Foundation President Katie Edwards. “The need is greater than ever across the North Texas community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support local nonprofits doing such critical work.”
PediPlace falls under the category of “uninsured children” that the Mavs Foundation supports this season. Texas designates the medical facility as a site serving a medically underserved population. They provide a medical home for children that tend to be from low-income families who otherwise would go without care or who would unnecessarily use the emergency room.
“We were so excited to receive it this year,” Singleton explained. “It was just a shock! It was an answer to prayers. We realized they had noticed us. Someone out there is watching over us, and it’s really a blessing because every dollar helps. This is a huge deal for us.”
In 2020, PediPlace provided primary pediatric healthcare services to 5,584 patients in 17,949 office visits. PediPlace also enrolled nearly 1,000 new patients, including 310 newborns.
The staff includes a pediatrician, nine pediatric nurse practitioners, and 12 medical assistants.
Volunteer physicians, medical professionals, and nursing students also help. All of the front office staff is bilingual (English-Spanish), and a good percentage of medical providers are also bilingual.
“If a child is in an exam room and their parents are Spanish-speaking, they will never be without a medical professional who can communicate with that family in their language,” Robins said.
PediPlace received two significant honors in 2020, including a Gold Rating from the NAFC Quality Standards Program for 2020. They were also recognized for Advanced Level of Standards from FCC.
It’s all about dignity and respect at PediPlace — along with an extra dose of love.
“PediPlace is a special place,” Robins said. “We understand that a family has many issues, and we do our best to address those issues in terms of their healthcare. We’re special because we care about the families that come to see us, and we’re special because there is nothing else like us in North Texas.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATION, VISIT https://www.pediplace.org
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