BCFS Health and Human Services is part of a global nonprofit organization that offers a variety of services. It provides aid to various groups including youth in foster care, low-income parents, victims of domestic violence, homeless youth, and expectant mothers. 

One of the organization’s notable and nationally recognized programs is called “Healthy Start.” It’s designed to provide expectant mothers and mothers of children under 18 months with access to vital health services and education. 

The goal of Healthy Start is to setup young moms for success as they work hard to meet the basic health needs of their children. The program’s goals include a reduction in infant mortality rates, preventing the incidence of child abuse, and creating more stable and healthy homes for babies. The program, established in 2001, offers care and case management services to residents in southern and eastern Texas, including the city of Tyler. 

Within Tyler, the organization also operates a mobile care truck that will come to a mother’s location to provide them with on-site effective care. This mobile medical unit offers an array of services that complement Healthy Start’s full capabilities that include pediatric care, pharmacy and lab services, Medicaid and CHIP registration, employment services, and case management. The mobile unit provides options for people with limited mobility or those lacking reliable or affordable transportation options that serve as barriers to accessing care.

The medical unit continually updates its design and improves the breadth of its capabilities to meet the needs of the local population. The mobile unit and the entire Healthy Start program are emblematic of BCFS Health and Human Service’s work with local communities and the trust-building and care that occurs between the organization and residents.