|
|
A Medical Home for Every Child
Jennifer knew her newborn daughter was supposed to visit a doctor in the first weeks of her life, but there was one big problem: she couldn't find a doctor to see Ariana. Jennifer just recently had moved from Ottawa County when Ariana was born this summer, and she didn't have a pediatrician in Grand Rapids. She tried to find a doctor that was accepting new patients with Medicaid, but she struggled to navigate the system.
 | | 2-month-old Ariana |
"It's not a good feeling not to have a doctor for them," Jennifer said about the time when Ariana didn't have a medical home.
Ariana went without her first check-up, and Jennifer took her to an urgent care center when she thought she had jaundice a few weeks later. Finally, when Ariana was two months old, Jennifer got the phone number for the Children's Healthcare Access Program (CHAP). She spoke to a CHAP nurse and had a well-child checkup at Kent Pediatrics--one of the pediatric practices participating in CHAP--the next day.
CHAP is a collaborative, community-based medical home program that is working to improve the health of children with Medicaid while better utilizing existing resources and decreasing costs. The program is led and operated by First Steps. Helping children find a medical home is just one small piece of what it does. CHAP has led to the creation of more openings in private practices for children with Medicaid. The program works with primary care practices and clinics to improve their "medical homeness." Additionally, CHAP staff--like the nurse who helped Jennifer--provide home-based education and support services for families.
The results are encouraging. Emergency department usage among children at participating providers is down 11%, and inpatient hospital admissions are down 9%. Perhaps one of the most significant outcomes is the increased collaboration among partners, including Priority Health, private pediatric practices, the teaching clinic at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Cherry Street Health Services, the Grand Valley State University Family Health Center, Asthma Network of West Michigan, and other human service agencies.
"The extent of the commitment is extraordinary," said Tom Peterson, MD, Executive Director of Safety, Quality, and Community Health at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and First Steps Medical Director. "Everyone comes to the table, and they are thinking only about what is best for the children."
While Jennifer isn't necessarily aware of the behind the scenes work associated with CHAP, she is well aware of the program's impact and appreciative of the help she received.
"They called to check up to see if everything is OK and if she has her appointment. They just don't forget about you."
Click on the link to read the Evaluation Report of CHAP.
|
|
News & Updates
Kent County Invests in Prevention
The Kent County Board of Commissioners is continuing its long-term commitment to improving the well-being of children and families by recently approving $1.6 million in contracts for the Kent County Prevention Initiative.
In 2003, Kent County became the first county in the state to commit general fund resources to services for children and families. The areas of focus include family support services, early intervention for children at risk of abuse or neglect, and substance abuse services.
During budget discussions this year, several Commissioners expressed their strong support for the Prevention Initiative, calling it one of the most important uses of County discretionary funds.
Please click on the link to read the most recent evaluation of the Kent County Prevention Initiative.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Report
Calls on Business to Support Early Childhood
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce recently launched its Early Childhood Education Initiative to push for policies that support evidence-based early learning programs for children from birth to age five.
Here are a couple of excerpts from the report:
"Environments and experiences in these early years are the most influential in the development of a child's brain. High-quality early childhood education programs should promote the whole child, paying equal attention to his or her cognitive (academic), social, and emotional development."
"ICW firmly believes that investments in high-quality early learning programs for children from birth to age five yield high returns. In fact, research shows that for every dollar invested today, savings range from $2.50 to as much as $17 in the years ahead."
Please click on the link to read the full report: Why Business Should Support Early Childhood Education.
|
|
Infant Toddler Development Services
We want to share the stories of programs and services that are helping to prepare young children in Kent County to be successful in school and in life. This time we are featuring Infant Toddler Development Services, a program of Arbor Circle.
The relationship a young child has with his or her parents is foundational to the child's long-term success. In many cases, families want and need support to help build and strengthen a positive relationship, starting in infancy. Infant Toddler Development Services--a program of Arbor Circle--has been providing that support for decades.
"We believe that if something is going wrong in that parent child relationship, that child is not going to develop on track and thrive and may have difficulties later in life," explained Emmy Ellis, early childhood program manager at Arbor Circle.
The services are voluntary and are available to families that are expecting a baby or have children 4 years old and younger. Parents signing up for the program often express interest in parenting their child differently than how they were parented. They want to have a better connection with their child, learning how to be encouraging and supportive because that was missing from their own childhood.
"Sometimes they don't have a sense of what it means to be a good parent because their experience wasn't so healthy," said Sue Eastman, team leader for Infant Toddler Development Services.
Master's level therapists work with families in their homes, assisting parent to better understand their child's behavior, expand their knowledge and skills about child development, and assist with everyday stressors that may interfere with their parenting capabilities.
"When you have a disconnect between what a child is capable of and what a parent expects, it can set up problems," Eastman explained. "It's normal for toddlers to hit when they want things before they have words to express what they need. Through guidance and support, we can help parents develop the skills to handle that."
Eastman and Ellis say the program helps children develop the social and emotional skills--such as trusting a nurturing adult--that will be critical to their success in school and beyond.
"If they can't connect with their parents, how can they develop, trust, and connect with anyone else in the outside world," Eastman asked.
Infant Toddler Development Services are available to families that have Medicaid or MIChild healthcare coverage and live in Kent County.
Please click on the link to learn more about Arbor Circle.
|
|
|
Sincerely,
|
|
|
Did You Know?
The brain is not fully developed at birth, and the early years are critical.
85% of brain development occurs by a child's 3rd birthday.
This is when children learn how to think, solve problems, cope with stress, be creative and communicate.
What happens in the earliest years of life has a profound and lasting impact on a child's long-term success.
Source: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
|
|
|
Contact us:
Amy Turner-Thole
Communications Director
616-632-1003
|
|
|
