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Florida ranks 49th in the nation for the percentage of uninsured children. For their families, back to school physicals are a luxury most simply cannot afford.

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Shepherd's Hope, the largest free and charitable clinic in Florida, is stepping up to meet this incredible need by partnering for the sixth consecutive year with Nemours Children's Health System to offer free back-to-school physicals and other medical services for local uninsured and underinsured families at four locations between July 24 and August 6. Funding to support this initiative is being provided by a grant from the Harper Family Charitable Foundation which provides for the health, education, maintenance and well-being of disabled children and adults of all ages in the Central Florida area.
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The free back-to-school physicals will include general health assessments and sports physicals (minus immunizations) with a Nemours specialist, as well as vision screenings at all locations.

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To qualify, children must be under age 18 and uninsured. Following the completion of their physical exam, they will receive the required Florida Department of Health form (DOH 3040) which meets the state requirement for enrollment in public or private school.

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Physicals will be conducted at the following Shepherd's Hope health clinic locations. Appointments must be scheduled in advance and can be made by calling (407) 876-6699, ext. 265:

West Orange Medical Clinic
455 9th Street, Winter Garden, FL 34787
? Wednesday, July 24 | 9AM- noon
? Thursday, August 1 | 1-4 PM
? Tuesday, August 6 | 9AM-noon

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Longwood Shepherd's Hope Health Center
The Sharing Center Plaza, 600 N. US Hwy 17-92, Suite #124, Longwood, FL 32750
? Thursday, July 25 | 9 AM - noon
? Monday, August 5 | 4-7 PM

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Dr. Diebel, Jr. Memorial Shepherd's Hope Health Center
Samaritan Resource Center, 9837 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32817
? Tuesday, July 30 | 4-7 PM

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Downtown Shepherd's Hope Health Center
Orange County Medical Clinic, 101 S. Westmoreland Drive, Orlando, FL 32805
? Wednesday, July 31 | 6-9 PM

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"It continues to be an undeniable fact that the failure of the State of Florida to expand Medicaid in 2015 has resulted in a healthcare crisis for the most vulnerable among us - our children," said Pam Gould, president and CEO of Shepherd's Hope. "Now in our sixth year, we once again step in to fill an incredible coverage gap. Our continued partnership with Nemours Children's Hospital and, funding from the Harper Family Charitable Foundation to help offset medical equipment and supply needs, will unquestionably make a difference in the lives of thousands of children simply trying to enroll in school."

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"We believe it's important for children to be prepared as they start the school year so they can be successful the rest of the year," said Al Torres, MD, Medical Director of the Pediatric Programs at the Partnerships for Nemours and board of directors, Shepherd's Hope. "Everyone from Nemours who volunteers at Shepherd's Hope wants to return year after year, and we are proud to help on this, our sixth year."

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Shepherd's Hope is the leading voice for the uninsured and underinsured in Central Florida. Founded in 1997, the faith-based nonprofit organization provides free primary care and specialty care medical services to uninsured men, women and children from five free standing health centers in Orange and Seminole counties. In 2018, Shepherd's Hope provided 19,033 free patient visits and medical services thanks to partnerships with 2,800 licensed medical and general volunteers, 3 community hospital systems, 100 diagnostic/secondary providers and numerous multi-faith partners. To learn more, visit www.shepherdshope.org or call (407) 876-6699, ext. 265.

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Nemours is an internationally recognized children's health system that owns and operates the two free-standing children's hospitals: the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Fla., along with outpatient facilities in five states, delivering pediatric primary, specialty and urgent care. Nemours also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, KidsHealth.org, and offers on-demand, online video patient visits through Nemours CareConnect. Nemours ReadingBrightstart.org is a program dedicated to preventing reading failure in young children, grounded in Nemours' understanding that child health and learning are inextricably linked, and that reading level is a strong predictor of adult health.

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Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, Nemours provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to families in the communities it serves.

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The mission of the Harper Family Charitable Foundation, Inc. is for the health, education, maintenance and well-being of disabled children/adults of all ages in the Central Florida area, wherever the need is found to be the greatest.