Ronald McDonald House of Houston, Inc.
Keeping Families Close
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Founded in 1978, the mission of Ronald McDonald House (RMH) Houston is to offer a home away from home providing care, compassion and hope to families with seriously ill children being treated in Texas Medical Center (TMC) member institutions. When families cross the threshold to Ronald McDonald House (RMH) Houston, they are in the midst of fighting cancer, heart disease, awaiting organ transplants, managing birth defects, and numerous other life-threatening pediatric health conditions. RMH Houston offers housing, meals, activities, and daily necessities, in a communal living environment so the families can focus solely on the health of their child and the stability of their family.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
70-Bedroom Holcombe House
Founded in 1978, the mission of Ronald McDonald House Houston is to offer a home away from home providing care, compassion and hope to families with seriously ill children being treated in Texas Medical Center (TMC) member institutions. Immersed in the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, families travel from across the state or around the world seeking healing and hope for their child. What started as a 21-bedroom House near the Astrodome, has now evolved to our flagship facility, Holcombe House, with 70 bedrooms, kitchens, availability of daily food staples, family meals and activities, play and lounge areas, laundry facilities, parking and transportation to the Texas Medical Center, and even Mogie, our Holcombe House resident labradoodle. RMH Houston also has a Licensed Master-Level Social Worker (LMSW) on site, and manages bachelor's and master's level student interns from UH School of Social Work, who are available for crisis intervention, case management, and referral services for the families. RMH Houston offers programs and activities for the children and parents to foster positive, hopeful feelings and possibly connect with other guests with a similar diagnosis on a similar journey. In 2020, RMH Houston documented 10,246 room check-outs and served 206 unduplicated families in the midst of a global pandemic. Much like a house with a big family, RMH Houston’s family-centered care environment offers private areas for reflection and communal areas for connections, opportunities to feed your body and soul with hot family meals provided by volunteer groups, and plenty of spaces for hugs and high-fives with other guests and volunteers. As each family fights for a healthy future, RMH Houston is there to establish the emotional foundation for helping that goal become a reality. For guests staying at Holcombe House, we ask for a $25/night donation or file for Medicaid/supplemental benefits, however, NO FAMILY is turned away based on their ability to make a financial contribution.
19-Bedroom House and Family Rooms/Lounges inside Texas Children's Hospital
Ronald McDonald House Houston operates a House inside Texas Children's Hospital and 10 Family Rooms, covering 11 floors, across 4 different buildings on the Hospital's medical center campus. The House consists of 19 private bedrooms that can be checked-out for a daytime nap/shower or for overnight accommodations, for the families whose children are being treated in the Neonatal ICU levels II and IV. In addition to the bedrooms, the House has common areas including a kitchen, dining room, laundry room and a library/computer room. The 10 Family Rooms serve the families and guests of the in-patient and out-patient areas for the Neonatal ICU Level III, Pediatric ICU, Cardiovascular ICU, and the Oncology/Hematology clinic. The Family Rooms offers the family a brief respite while a child receives care, with snacks or light meals available 24/7. In 2020, RMH Houston served 569 unduplicated families through 3,627 room check-outs. In addition, RMH Houston welcomed over 5,000 guests to the House kitchen/common areas, and supported 25,846 procedures/admits through our Family Room services.
14-Bedroom House inside Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital
The Ronald McDonald House inside Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital (CMHH) offers a short-term home for families with children being treated in either the Neonatal Intensive Care or the Pediatric Intensive Care Units at the hospital. There are 14 bedrooms and 3 Family Lounges to allow parents some respite while staying close to their child during an extremely important time in their child's recovery process. The rooms serving the Neonatal ICU also allow the infant to be in the room with their parent for several days prior to release in order to learn how to meet the child's special care needs before going home. In 2020, the CMHH House provided 3,466 room check-outs to 722 unduplicated families. The Family Lounges served 148-patient beds.
Family Room inside M. D. Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital
The Ronald McDonald House Family Room inside MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, serves the hospital's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. This Family Room is equipped with two sleep/nap rooms as well as a main area for families to rest and relax. In 2020, RMH Houston documented 157 overnight stays and/or daytime naps to 21 unduplicated families. RMH Houston also served 3,462 outpatient appointments through our Family Room kitchen and dining area.
Where we work
Accreditations
Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity 2019
External reviews

Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
As noted by Pediatric Oncologist, Dr. Audrey Evans, “when there is a sick child, there is a sick family.” Ronald McDonald House (RMH) Houston addresses an acute need in the community by serving families who are desperately seeking treatment for their seriously ill child. Securing safe and affordable housing while a child receives treatment or recovers from major surgery, creates emotional and financial stress. No matter how financially stable a family is, the worries of a child’s health and the related expenses add up exponentially – medical, travel, lodging, food, gas, parking, sibling care/activities – the family can be quickly overwhelmed. RMH Houston strives to relieve these stressors so the family can focus solely on the health of their child and the stability of their family.
Located in the 4th largest metro area in the United States and immersed in the largest medical center in the world, RMH Houston has evolved to meet the changing needs of the children and families in its 40-year history. What started as a 20-bedroom house near the Astrodome, now consists of our flagship facility, Holcombe House, with 70 bedrooms and communal kitchen and living areas, and in-hospital Houses, Family Rooms, lounges and private bedrooms in Texas Children’s Hospital, Children’s Memorial Herman Hospital, and MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital. Plus, Mogie, the Holcombe House resident labradoodle, who is always there for extra hugs.
For the families staying at Holcombe House, our Licensed Master-Level Social Worker, and bachelor's and master's level student interns from UH School of Social Work, are available to facilitate Family Support Services – crisis intervention, case management, and coordinate activities to foster positive, hopeful feelings and possibly help the children and parents embrace a new friend with a similar diagnosis. Much like a house with a big family, RMH Houston’s family-centered care environment offers private bedrooms, communal living areas for activities, kitchens and dining areas to share food for the body and soul, and plenty of spaces for hugs and high-fives. As each family fights for a healthy future, RMH Houston is there to establish the emotional foundation for helping that goal become a reality.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Ronald McDonald House (RMH) Houston was founded in 1978 when Dr. Donald Fernbach, Chief of Hematology and Oncology Service at Texas Children’s Hospital, along with a group of parents, leaders, and McDonald’s franchisees, addressed the need to build a safe haven near the Texas Medical Center (TMC) for families with seriously ill children. In 1981, RMH Houston opened a 21-bedroom House near the Astrodome. As the demand increased, RMH Houston opened Holcombe House in 1997, now with 70-bedrooms, offering families a safe place to stay, kitchens, meals, family activities, communal play and lounge areas, laundry facilities, free parking, transportation to the TMC, and even, Mogie, our resident labradoodle, who is always available for hugs. For the families whose children are hospitalized, RMH Houston offers 20 private bedrooms and 10 Family Rooms/Lounges inside Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH), 14 private bedrooms with kitchen areas and lounges inside Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and 2 private bedrooms, a kitchen and lounge areas inside MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital.
Through our comprehensive programs, RMH Houston is positively impacting the Social Determinants Health for our families, by addressing Housing and Food Insecurity. Offering room check-outs for overnight stays/daytime naps, hot catered meals, and the unrestricted availability of food staples can save a family as much as $250 per day, without relying on couches for sleep, cafeteria meals, or vending machine fare. This support enables our parents and family members a chance to maintain their strength, as they focus on the health of their child, and not have to incur additional costs or worry the accessibility of these basic necessities. Our cherished families need RMH Houston now more than ever. Their stress and fear on a daily basis is already exhausting, and now in the midst of global pandemic, our supportive programs are essential as families cannot put their child's treatment on hold.
Any family, regardless of socioeconomic status, diagnosis, race, ethnicity, home city, is welcomed at any location. The families staying at Holcombe House are asked to contribute a $25/night donation or file for Medicaid or supplemental benefits. However, NO FAMILY is ever turned away based on their ability to make a financial contribution, and there is NO CHARGE for any of the RMH Houston services located inside the hospitals.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Cristina Vetrano, our Chief Executive Officer, joined Ronald McDonald House Houston in August of 2020. Originally from San Diego, California, Ms. Vetrano was drawn to serving in the non-profit sector since college. With a Bachelor of Science in Finance from San Diego State University and an MBA from the University of Iowa, Ms. Vetrano volunteered in the Peace Corps where she designed a business curriculum and trained teachers in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for two years. After she returned to the United States, she spent the next 13 years with the American Red Cross in Washington, DC, where she held multiple positions working with technology, disaster services, and the health and safety departments. Moving to Houston, she served as Executive Director of Kid’s Meals, and most recently with CanCare. Her work with CanCare included strategic planning, fundraising, and project development.
Ms. Vetrano has served as CEO of RMH Houston since August of 2020, and leads the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Advancement Officer, and the Operations Manager. The Operations Manager is also a Licensed Master-Level Social Worker who oversees bachelor's and master's level social work student interns from the University of Houston School of Social Work. The Social Work Interns work closely with the Family Support Services staff to create programs and activities to help the children and parents connect with other guests on similar journeys. RMH Houston also manages a robust group (400+) of volunteers, 38 members of our Board of Directors, 10 members of our Emeritus Board, and 17 members of our Advisory Board.
Each year, RMH Houston's goal is that the families will experience the atmosphere of a loving home, the reduced costs of lodging and meals, the easy access to hospitals, and the support from other families whose children are being treated for a critical illness in the Texas Medical Center. With RMH Houston's intensive supportive wrap-around programs, our efforts are leading the way to provide a continuum of care, which ultimately leads to a more impactful, long-term healthy program for the family.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Ronald McDonald House Houston was founded in 1978 when a group of doctors, parents and community leaders addressed the need to build a safe haven near the Texas Medical Center for families with seriously ill children. What started as a 21-bedroom home near the Astrodome, has grown to include Holcombe House (70 bedrooms) and Houses/Family Rooms/Lounges inside Texas Children’s Hospital, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital, and therapeutic programs to help keep the family unit intact as they journey towards a healthy future. RMH Houston recorded the following statistics for 2020: documented 17,496 room check-outs across all locations serving 1,568 unduplicated families. In addition, RMH Houston supported 29,308 outpatient appointments and/or procedures with unlimited access to the Family Rooms inside Texas Children's Hospital and MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital; and supported 6,921 patent admissions across all in-hospital locations. According to the per diem rates in the Texas Medical Center area published by the General Services Administration, RMH Houston saves a family as much as $250 per day with a room check-out and meals. Therefore, in 2020, RMH Houston saved our families $4.3M in food and hotel expenses, thus making a positive impact on Food and Housing Insecurity and the corresponding impact on Social Determinants of Health.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Founded in 1978, the mission of Ronald McDonald House (RMH) Houston is to offer a home away from home providing care, compassion and hope to families with seriously ill children being treated in Texas Medical Center (TMC) member institutions.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Case management notes, Community meetings/Town halls,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Ronald McDonald House of Houston, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 4/21/2022
Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Hanrahan
PwC (retired)
Term: 2020 - 2022
Emily Crosswell
Community Volunteer
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Mitch Derrick
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Marc Dickson
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Lawrence Hanrahan, M.D.
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David Hicks
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Marilyn Mogas
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Amy Redell, J.D.
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Marjana Roach
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Maggie Stacy
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Christine Underwood
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Chris Weber
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James Chvatal
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Susan Blaney, M.D.
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James Walsh
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Shane Kimzey
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Billy Rhoads
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Cyndy Roberts
Comcast, Retired
Coy Wright
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Flo McGee
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Jerry Borowick
KPMG, Retired
Patrick Dennis
JE Dunn Construction
Shannon Hayes, MD
Texas Children's Pediatrics
Liliya Kades
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Kurt Lyn
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Muffin Clark
Community Volunteer
David Copeland
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Richard East
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Lesha Elsenbrook
Community Volunteer
Debbie Gibson
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Elizabeth Kelley
Founding Member
W. Gregory Looser
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Sally Rutherford
Community Volunteer
Susie Smith
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Philip Tenenbaum
Mercer HR Consulting
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/14/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.