The Children's Health Fund is committed to improving the health of medically underserved children. The CHF National Child Health Project Network provides medical care to thousands of America's children through a medical home model. The medical home concept embodies a system of care that addresses the comprehensive health needs of a child. Care coordinated by a primary physician, including access to pediatric subspecialists and other health care professionals, in conjunction with family and community, ensure health growth and optimal development of a child.
Unfortunately, there are numerous barriers to providing children with a medical home. CHF, through its delivery of health care services to medically underserved children and families throughout the country, has identified key barriers to providing a medical home and developed strategic policy objectives to address these barriers.
Our Issues: Barriers to Care
Lack of health insurance coverage is a major barrier to accessing medical care. Nine million children in the U.S. are without health insurance. CHF advocates preserving and expanding the child health safety net that provides health insurance to medically underserved populations.
The Children's Health Fund supports and develops programs that provide health care to poor and vulnerable populations that do not traditionally have access to quality health care in a medical home setting. CHF believes every child should receive health care in a medical home setting.
Seamless access to mental health services for children is essential, but too often not available. CHF advocates for increased access to pediatric mental health services.
In many parts of the U.S., access to affordable transportation services is limited or altogether non-existent. Families need reliable transportation to take them to and from medical appointments. CHF advocates a strengthened transportation infrastructure for medically underserved communities.
Electronic health records (EHR) technology, which provides for more effective and efficient management of patientsí medical records, is still underutilized by certain health care providers especially community health centers. CHF advocates for increased use of EHR technology and availability of funding for community based programs.
In addition, CHF supports special initiatives to reduce the rate of childhood obesity and improve the management of asthma, enhance access to specialty care and recognize community based pediatric centers of excellence. The policy agenda also includes areas of special concern including healthcare for homeless families, immigrant health status, adolescent health, pediatric disaster preparedness, health care disparities, community based oral health initiatives, immunization and childhood early intervention.
Experience-Based Advocacy
CHF has and continues to act on behalf of the thousands of medically underserved children who still do not have a medical home. Informed by seventeen years of experience providing care to the medically underserved, CHF is an active voice in child health care policy. In addition to working with national, state and local lawmakers to keep the health care needs of underserved children on the forefront of the nation's health policy agenda, CHF collaborates with many private sector organizations including other child health advocacy groups, health policy experts, and health providers to form coalitions focused on children's well being.
