The Division of Community Pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital provides the quality health care families need, right in local neighborhoods and schools. Our expert team offers a full range of healthcare services to every child in our community, regardless of insurance status. Since 1992, the Division of Community Pediatrics has served more than 7,000 children with over 60,000 patient visits.
“We know that in order to live healthy lives, children and families need access not only to high quality health care, but also to safe and strong neighborhoods, an excellent education, healthy food, and active play” says Division Chief, Janine A. Rethy, MD, MPH.
Vision and Mission of Community Pediatrics
In line with MedStar Georgetown’s vision to be the trusted leader in caring for people and advancing health, the Division of Community Pediatrics ensures that every child has the opportunity to thrive and be healthy. We are committed to helping our community attain health equity.
Our team provides access to evidence-based, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate health care to those who need it most. Our services and programs aim to decrease health disparities and train the next generation of community-oriented health care professionals.
Clinical Services from Community Pediatrics
- KIDS Mobile Medical Clinic/Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® (KMMC/RMCM)(KMMC/RMCM): The mobile medical clinic provides holistic, integrated primary care at designated sites four days a week in Washington, D.C. neighborhoods.
- The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile ®Focused on FITNESS Program: The FITNESS (Fun In Teaching Nutrition and Exercise to Successful Students) program partners with local schools and families interested in health transformation to provide a yearlong, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary nutrition and physical activity management program.
- School-based health clinics: Located at Anacostia Senior High School in Ward 8 and Roosevelt Senior High School in Ward 4, these comprehensive primary care clinics are operated in partnership with DC Health’s Community Health Administration and DC Public Schools.
This map displays where our clinical services are located.
Community Outreach and Engagement
Community Pediatrics is dedicated to promoting health through both service and education. Our team participates in many community outreach and engagement activities throughout the year.
Innovation and Partnerships
We partner with clinical, community, and government agencies to create innovative solutions for optimizing health and well-being. Some examples include:
- A long-term partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Washington, D.C. to improve local access to primary care, health, and nutrition services
- An impactful partnership with the Health Justice Alliance at Georgetown University to screen for social determinants of health and provide pathways for community linkages and legal assistance
- Partnering with the MedStar Georgetown Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Monument Academy Public Charter School to develop an integrated medical and behavioral health model at a D.C. residential charter school.
- Partnering with Breathe D.C. and the MedStar Georgetown Division of Pediatric Pulmonology to develop and implement an electronic asthma decision support tool to improve asthma diagnosis, management, and referrals for home-based solutions to asthma triggers and care.
Community Pediatrics Medical and Academic Education
We are committed to training the doctors of tomorrow to deliver high-quality, community-oriented care. The Division of Community Pediatrics serves as a critical educational component of the Department of Pediatrics medical student and residency training programs and offers the opportunity for Fellowship training in Community Pediatrics. In addition to teaching the fundamentals of primary community care, our Community Pediatrics medical education program offers learners the opportunity to engage in experiential community health learning at all of our sites, as well as with partner community service providers such as D.C. Child and Family Services Agency, Joyful Markets, and WIC. Our faculty engages in ongoing research, quality improvement, and evidence-based program development and evaluation. We mentor students, residents and fellows to learn through these projects, and often to lead them.
Our Team
Our highly trained team includes physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, a registered dietitian, an exercise physiologist, mental health providers, and an administrative support team. We partner with local schools and community groups to build strong relationships with the families we serve.
