Related Experiment Videos
From assessment to action. A hospital-community coalition provides needed services to children
1St. Mary Hospital, Port Arthur, TX.
Insights
St. Mary Hospital improved healthcare access for underserved communities, particularly minorities and youth, by establishing primary care clinics and screening programs. This initiative enhanced community health services and established vital healthcare provider relationships for children.
Area of Science:
- Community Health
- Healthcare Access Initiatives
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- St. Mary Hospital identified significant healthcare access barriers for underserved populations in Port Arthur, TX.
- Racial and ethnic minorities, and youth (under five and 5-12 years) were recognized as key underserved groups.
- A critical need for increased primary care services and general healthcare access was identified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To implement a strategic, multi-phase approach to improve healthcare access for underserved community members.
- To address identified healthcare needs through collaborative community and hospital-based programs.
- To enhance primary care services and screening for vulnerable populations, specifically children.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a comprehensive community needs assessment to identify underserved populations and their healthcare requirements.
- Formed a hospital-community coalition with local leaders and providers to plan and execute targeted interventions.
- Established three new primary care clinics for children and participated in a task force for developmental screenings.
Main Results:
- Successfully launched three primary care clinics, significantly increasing access for pediatric populations.
- Identified and alerted parents of over 3,800 children requiring Early and Periodic Screening and Developmental Testing.
- Initiated proactive outreach to ensure immunization compliance and establish early healthcare provider relationships for infants.
Conclusions:
- Collaborative community-based strategies are effective in addressing healthcare disparities.
- Targeted primary care and screening programs can substantially improve health outcomes for underserved children.
- Proactive engagement and relationship-building with healthcare providers are crucial for long-term child health.
Abstract:
In December 1991 St. Mary Hospital, Port Arthur, TX, began a three-phase procedure to provide underserved persons in the community better access to care. The process began with a community needs assessment, after which St. Mary developed a hospital-community coalition to plan and implement programs to address identified needs. The needs assessment revealed two underserved populations: racial and ethnic minorities, and youth in two separate categories (below five years old, and from five to the teen years). The top needs were for greater access to healthcare and an increase in primary care services. Having determined that St. Mary Hospital was better equipped to address the lack of primary care, the needs assessment team forged a coalition with community leaders and providers. Collaborative efforts led to the opening of three primary care clinics for children in 1993. The hospital also participated in a task force that identified and alerted the parents of more than 3,800 Port Arthur children in need of Early and Periodic Screening and Developmental Testing. St. Mary is currently working on a plan to contact the family of every Port Arthur child at the age of three months to ensure immunizations are current and a relationship has been established with a healthcare provider.