Plaquemines Parish
Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish–an economically diverse and medically underserved region - has yet to rebuild a permanent health care facility after Hurricane Katrina. The region has been federally designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area. In terms of access to medical care for children, there are no practicing pediatricians currently in the region. Attaining accessible and affordable health care has been vastly exacerbated by the increased exposure to oil products, loss of income security, and the appearance of new symptoms and illness in children and adults after the BP Oil Spill.
Read the study "Impact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill",based on a survey conducted by researchers at Columbia University's National Center for Disaster Preparedness in collaboration with Children’s Health Fund and Marist Poll.
In October 2010, Children’s Health Fund’s New Orleans Children’s Health Project (affiliated with Tulane University) in partnership with Plaquemines Community C.A.R.E. Centers Foundation, Inc., launched a mobile clinic offering services to local families. A multi-disciplinary team works on the mobile clinic providing clinical assessments, evaluations, counseling and referrals for communities in Plaquemines Parish where there are more than 5,900 children and significant medical and mental health needs have already been identified. 
The team has specific training with respect to the full-range of potential human hazards associated with the spill.
Sampling of Services:
- Routine Pediatric Care
- Acute Care (Sick Child)
- Immunizations
- School/Sports Physicals
- Asthma Management
- Allergy Testing
- Patient Education
- Dental, Vision and Hearing Screening
- Mental Health Screenings and Assessments
- Counseling
- Group and/or Family Therapy
- Case Management
