Profile: Making a Difference
Every day, members of our National Network do whatever it takes to bring health care to children and families in need. The Children's Health Fund is proud to acknowledge its National Network projects - and the individuals who are always ready to go the extra mile for their patients.
Antoinette Howard Barrett, RN, CPNP
Los Angeles Children's Health Project
Clinical Supervisor/Nurse Practitioner
Years with project: 9 years
As a Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Supervisor for the Los Angeles Children's Health Project (LACHP), Antoinette Howard Barrett, RN, CPNP leads a medical team into LA's most economically disadvantaged areas. Antoinette oversees one of the project's two mobile medical units, providing health care to medically underserved children and families. But handling the day-to-day operations of a busy mobile clinic doesn't keep her from concentrating on what matters most: the patients.
Antoinette has developed a special rapport with her patients - one based on a model of compassionate care. Antoinette has seen children grow up during her time on the MMU, treating some patients for all of the nine years she's been with the project. "Families keep coming back because they love Antoinette and they appreciate the excellent care she provides," says LACHP Program Administrator, Michele Rigsby, RN, CPNP.
As if all that weren't enough, Antoinette is one of five clinicians in the National Network on CHF's Healthy KIDS team - a multi-disciplinary team that creates low-literacy health education materials on nutrition and fitness. Antoinette Howard Barrett gives her patients the extra attention which truly makes the mobile unit a medical home.
Paul Gram
West Virginia Children's Health Project
Driver/Registrar/EHR Administrator
Years with project: 13 years
The West Virginia Children's Health Project (WVCHP) relies on Paul Gram to get them where they are needed the most - to children and families in small isolated towns and communities. Delivering care in West Virginia is no small challenge - especially driving a 40 foot long mobile medical unit on winding mountain roads. And Paul doesn't just drive the unit, he keeps it in top condition - pretty important when breakdowns can strand the medical team miles from the nearest town. A man of many talents, Paul also registers patients and provides onsite technical support for the electronic health record.
"It's hard to summarize what Paul means to the project. He does so much for us - and he does it for all the right reasons," says WVCHP Medical Director, Isabel Pino, MD. From taking care of the MMU to patient registration to overseeing the computers, Paul Gram makes things work for the West Virginia Children's Health Project.
