It is time for Chattanooga to go “Back To School!” PHIC has decided that it would go back to
school as well. The Coalition has been
meeting for some time with Hamilton County Department of Education officials
and local health providers about partnering to improve the health of Hamilton
County’s children.
Hamilton County is challenged by pediatric asthma. Asthma is the number one reason children miss
school. These absences are just the tip
of the iceberg as many more children are distracted or are sleep deprived at
school by the symptoms of their asthma.
42 of Hamilton County 71 schools have more asthmatic children than the
state average. 10 schools have twice the
state average.
PHIC is working in three ways to improve support for
Hamilton Counties most at risk children.
First, we are partnering with existing nursing to better treat asthma
and communicate medication needs.
Second, the department is looking into ways to provide care coordination
for the moderate to severe asthmatics in county schools. Care coordination is the individual review of
individual child’s medical needs and assist with any gaps in care. Last, a large community coalition is working
to add telemedicine support to school nursing care and build comprehensive
medical clinics at central schools in underserved areas.
PHIC looks forward to sharing more of the initial plans as
they become finalized. Each neighborhood
that would be served by the proposed clinics will need to assist in the
planning of each specific clinic. The
goal is to build the best comprehensive health clinics in the region that serve
the neighborhood as precisely as they would like to be served.
It is an exciting time at the possibility that Chattanooga
will soon have a tool to remove the barriers to academic success and a fully
functional life that poor health now plays.
