DocTocToc: Making healthcare more accessible to children and families

After working for seven years to bring the project to life, the DocTocToc organization will be ready to start seeing young patients and their families as of April 8th.

The first-ever mobile pediatric clinic in Montreal’s northern sector aims to help families with children who are five and under in low-income households that have limited access to medical care. The services are free and families in the area don’t even need to make an appointment, they just need to show up wherever the clinic goes.

“The objective was to try to find an extra solution to access healthcare,” said Dr. Rislaine Benkelfat, a pediatrician at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and president of DocTocToc. “So, that’s how the project actually started out.”

Inspired by American mobile clinics, Dr. Benkelfat began the project with pop-up clinics in 2020 and got to work finding donors and putting a team together.

A year ago, she found Marlène Gomes, her current director of operations, who she says was instrumental in making the project happen.

“My role consists of taking care of the logistical aspects and technicalities for the bus, to build the clinical team and develop solid partnerships within the community ecosystem and the local CIUSSS [Integrated University Health and Social Services Centres] in the Montreal-North area,” explained Gomes.

 Families will have two ways to access the clinic, either via walk-ins during predetermined times or through referrals from community organizations.

On top of medical care, the clinic will offer vaccinations, regular follow-ups and psychosocial services, such as assistance with housing, food insecurity, or any other issues the family might need help with.

Initially, there will be a nurse working full-time at the mobile clinic who will focus more on the medical side, as well as a patient navigator who will help explain the other services and connect families with community organizations. While each will play their own role, the intent is to work collaboratively to ensure that all of the different factors that contribute to the global health of the child are addressed.

“The psychosocial services are really more so in terms of welcoming these families, helping them with administrative tasks, for example, getting the RAMQ access, understanding how to get an appointment after a referral has been made, supporting them in that process and also connecting them with the community organizations if they’re not already connected,” described Dr. Benkelfat.

“Support will continue for two years, at least, after the family is actually connected with the community services and the local [health] services,” she added.

The clinic hopes to eventually expand its services, but for now will be focused on four different stations, beginning in two weeks in Saint-Laurent, and then going to Montreal-North, Bordeaux-Cartierville and Ahuntsic.

“There’s a calendar that’s going to be out there with the regular visits,” said Dr. Benkelfat. “Then every day we’re going to go to a different place for the four days of the week — and then repeat.”

There will be a time period designated for walk-ins, as well as a time period reserved for appointments and referrals.

“We’re really enthusiastic about taking the road with this bus that has the ultimate goal of making healthcare more accessible for children,” said Gomes excitedly.