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The flagship of Miami Children's Preventive Medicine Division is its Health-on-Wheels Program. Since September 1995, three 40-foot, medical-dental vehicles carrying state-of-the-art medical and dental equipment, are in the hands of board-certified pediatricians, pediatric nurse practitioners, nurse assistants and paramedics, and have served over 55,000 children and adolescents in Dade Broward, and Monroe counties to date.
Since its inception in 1995, 327 children with life-threatening diseases have been diagnosed and treated successfully by this program. In addition to serving 35 public schools, Health-on-Wheels collaborates with several existing community resources, including the Head Start Program, South Florida Food Recovery, AHEC, YMCA, Centro Mater Christian Community Center, Miami Bridge Program and Camilus House, Special Olympics, among many others.
As of 2000, the Health-on-Wheels Program has administered 14,931 immunizations, administered 6,000 tuberculosis test, and performed 10,014 hearing and vision screenings. Of the 55,000 children evaluated to date, 56% were diagnosed with an acute medical condition, and 21% required hospitalization.
This program targets the medically uninsured children and aims at establishing a medical home for them in order to ensure continuity of care and therefore, better health.
School Nurse Program
This prototype program collaborates with the Miami -Dade County Department of Health to provide nursing services in schools in the Allapattah feeder pattern. The goals of this program are to provide students health education and health promotion encounters, identify and treat existing health conditions, and to have an impact on decreasing absenteeism rates in schools due to illnesses. This program provides the services of the Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner and of a Registered Nurse to the school clinics. To date this program has served 6,925 youngsters attending elementary, junior and high schools.
Immunizations Services
Immunizations continue to be the most valuable method of primary disease prevention. Through the years we have been able to conquer many fatal childhood diseases by immunizing all children since birth. Keeping child and adolescent immunization schedules up to date plays a major role in conquering the global elimination of deadly infectious diseases for which immunizations are available.
Immunization is a more inclusive term denoting the process of inducing or providing immunity artificially by administering an immunobiologic. Immunization can be active or passive.
Active immunization is the production of antibody or other immune responses through the administration of a vaccine or toxoid.
Passive immunization means the provision of temporary immunity by the administration of preformed antibodies. Three types of immunobiologics are administered for passive immunization: a) pooled human IG or IGIV, b) specific immune globulin preparations, and c) antitoxins.
Although persons often use vaccination and immunization interchangeably in reference to active immunization, the terms are not synonymous because the administration of an immunobiologic cannot be automatically equated with the 
development of adequate immunity.
Be Wise, Immunize!!
For additional information about the immunization schedule, please visit the National Immunization Program at www.cdc.gov/nip or please call the National Immunization Hotline at 800-232-2522 (English) or 800-232-0233 (Spanish).
The Vaccine for Children Program
This is a national program offering free vaccinations to children in the following categories:
• Children without health insurance
• Children with health insurance not covering vaccinations
• Native American children
The program is available at the Division of Preventive Medicine offices, and through the Health On Wheels Program.
Appointments are necessary . Please call (305) 663-6853.
International Travel Health Requirements
Specifically designed for the international traveler, this program offers information to the entire family on health requirements for countries worldwide as per the standards of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention and The World Health Organization.
Services available include:
• Routine United States recommended vaccines
• Yellow Fever, Meningoccocal, and Polyvalent Pneumoccocal, Hepatitis A Vaccines
• Health Examination Certificate
For information please call Cindy Garlesky, ARNP at (305) 666-6511 ext. 4262.
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