In partnership with Mercy Care and UnitedHealthcare, Equality Health Foundation is hosting this year’s Well-Child & Back to School Drive, which was created so that every child starts the school year healthy and with the tools needed for academic success.

This year’s packing was held on July 10 at the Equality Health Foundation headquarters where volunteers filled 2,000 backpacks with school supplies and educational materials, a press release explained.

New backpacks filled with supplies and health and well-being resources will be distributed by pediatric primary care practices in Equality Health’s network in Arizona and Texas at well-child visits in advance of the new school year. 

During the visits, physicians will be available to provide comprehensive well-child exams, including vision, hearing, dental and general health screenings, as well as immunizations, to ensure that children are up to date with their vaccines. 

“Access to whole-person healthcare and essential school supplies are critical for children and teens to thrive,” Tomás León, Equality Health Foundation president, stated in the release.

León continued that the drive provides children from vulnerable communities with the medical attention and resources needed to be healthy and well-prepared for the school year.

Preventative care is key to babies’ and children’s health, and regular checkups are highly recommended to stay on top of children’s health, according to the release. A variety of social determinants may contribute to parents’ and caregivers’ ability to get children to these crucial visits, including lack of transportation, inability to take time off from work and inadequate childcare. 

Missing well-child visits contributes to higher rates of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and delays in diagnosing developmental disorders, the release stated.

Students in Arizona and Texas will benefit from the drive.

Courtesy Equality Health Foundation

(Courtesy Equality Health Foundation)

With the support of Mercy Care and UnitedHealthcare, Equality Health Foundation hosts annual well-child drives benefiting the patients of Equality Health Network pediatric primary care practices and local community residents. 

As families with children in K-12 are projected to spend $529 per child on back-to-school needs this year, an increase over last year’s spending, the support of community sponsors helps students in low-income households start the year healthy and ready to learn, the release stated.

"Last year through multiple back to school events, more than 35,000 Mercy Care members got their well-child visits to start the school year off on the right foot," Dr. Gagan Singh, Mercy Care chief medical officer, stated in the release. 

Singh added that collaborating with community partners is an effective way to help Arizona families navigate social risk factors that could impact their health and wellbeing.

The success of this event is made possible through the generous support of community partners and sponsors. Equality Health Foundation extends its gratitude to local businesses, healthcare providers and volunteers who contribute their time and resources to help prepare students for a healthy and prosperous academic year, the release added.

Equality Health Foundation, the philanthropic partner of Equality Health, is an organization dedicated to advancing health equity and improving well-being access for underserved communities, according to the release. Through initiatives like the Well-Child & Back to School Drive, the foundation strives to create a healthier, more equitable future for all.

For more on Equality Health Foundation and the Well-Child & Back to School Drive, visit equalityhealthfoundation.org/back-to-school-drive-az/.