By Eva Marie Stahl: For More Info, Go Here…
For children across the country, September means school time. For parents, if often means stress time: forms, care coordination, and tears over transition from free time to class time. In a small rural town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, local organizations decided that caring for children was a top priority. Yet health care access was high on the list of parent stressors and an obstacle to whole community health and well-being.
Sparked by conversations made possible by the Partnership for Community Prosperity (P4CP) coalition, local groups along with county decision makers worked collaboratively with their local pediatric provider group to launch a pilot telehealth program in their elementary school. By doing so, the coalition of partners paved the way for a local solution, driven by family voices and resulting in reduced emergency room visits, increased attendance in school and parents able to remain at work. This positive outcome was not without bumps in the road and extended time commitment from all involved. But it was worth it. Have a look at our new video about this pioneering program!
