Every young person from 0 to 19 years old -- regardless of his or her immigration status -- has a right to access medical services, proclaimed City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito in a press conference announcing a $1.5million dollar Immigrant Health Initiative that will expand legal, medical and translation services for undocumented immigrants in NYC. The initiative will operate in partnership with Terra Firma (http://www.terrafirma.nyc/), the groundbreaking program run by Children's Health Fund, Montefiore Health System and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.
In the News
For inquiries, contact media@chfund.org or call 212.535.9400, ext. 254.
Children are Our Future. And Yet, Not Every Child Has Equal Opportunities as They Grow Up
June 21, 2020
Children's Health Fund was featured in a full-page ad in the New York Times along with other organizations working to combat social inequities affecting children.
Immigrants' kids are in serious need of health care. One clinic in New Orleans is trying to help.
August 29, 2019
(New Orleans, LA) A clinic on the edge of the South 7th Ward in New Orleans has found itself on the front lines of the immigration crisis.
Editorial | Health screenings help kids succeed in the classroom
August 18, 2019
(Johnstown, PA) A child’s wellness can have a significant impact on that child’s performance in the classroom, those in the education field tell us.
Health Matters | Back-to-school health screenings: 'The least we can do'
August 3, 2019
(Johnstown, PA) Pediatric health advocates say the back-to-school routine should include a trip to the doctor's office for an annual checkup and screenings for what the experts call health barriers to learning.
Mobile health vehicle offers clinical services to the homeless
July 12, 2019
(Brooklyn/The Bronx, NY) A new health vehicle is offering up its services to people in need.
Dilenia Rodriguez had given birth to her second daughter, Sophia, 22 months ago. The little girl was born with Down syndrome and respiratory issues.
She had no idea where she would go for the help her daughter needed.
But then she found the Children's Health Fund, as well as their mobile clinics.
Renowned Athletes Honored As Champions For Children At Children's Health Fund 2019 Annual Benefit
June 7, 2019
The stars were shining on June 5, when legends in sports gathered with advocates for children’s healthcare in Manhattan. Children’s Health Fund (CHF), a non-profit committed to ensuring access to high-quality healthcare to America’s most disadvantaged children, held its annual benefit at Capitale. The event raised nearly $1 million to support these efforts across 26 programs in 16 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
A program in the borough is aiming to help society's most vulnerable to get healthy.
May 20, 2019
A program in the borough is aiming to help society's most vulnerable to get healthy.
Dilenia Rodriguez and her baby Sophia have been through their share of struggles, and now can say they are happy and healthy.
During the worst of their hardships, Sophia was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and a heart defect all while they were living in a shelter.
News 12 The Bronx story here.
The 3Ps: What it takes to provide healthcare access to kids
May 9, 2019
Health insurance is a critical component of children’s well-being; without it, they will have extraordinary difficulty realizing their potential. This is especially true for children living in poverty — but with all the talk of “Medicare for All” dominating the news, it’s important to recognize that healthcare access is not singularly defined by insurance coverage. It takes a braid of payment mechanism, provider availability, and platform of service delivery— the “3Ps”— to truly make healthcare real for kids.
Read here on Medium.
Nixon Peabody Partner Joins Children’s Health Fund Board of Directors
April 16, 2019
(New York, NY) - Children’s Health Fund (CHF), which brings high-quality healthcare to some of the country’s most disadvantaged children, is pleased to welcome Michele A. Masucci, a Partner at Global 100 law firm Nixon Peabody, to its board of directors.
News story here.
Freddie Mac CEO Joins Children’s Health Fund Board
April 8, 2019
(New York, NY) - Children’s Health Fund (CHF), which brings high-quality healthcare to some of the country’s most disadvantaged children, is pleased to welcome Donald H. Layton, the outgoing CEO of Freddie Mac, to its board of directors.
News story here.
Guardian, Children's Health Fund Launch Statewide Pennsylvania Oral Health Education and Awareness Initiative
April 8, 2019
BETHLEHEM, Pa /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) and Children's Health Fund today announced the launch of a statewide oral health education and public awareness initiative in Pennsylvania as part of their "Guardians of the Smile" national partnership. Supported by a $1 million grant to Children's Health Fund by Guardian, the partnership provides dental services and education to children, teaches students about the importance of proper oral hygiene and aims to instill good habits from an early age.
News story here.
Guardian Life Insurance, Children’s Health Fund Team Up to Teach Students Oral Hygiene
An effort focused on helping kids develop lasting and proper oral health habits is making its way to St. Matthew Catholic School in Phoenix, bringing with it giant floss, larger-than-life teeth and other interactive elements.
News story here.
Photo Gallery: Guardian and Children's Health Fund Bring Guardians of the Smile to Phoenix
March 13, 2019
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian) in partnership with Children's Health Fund (CHF) brought their national Guardians of the Smile program to students at St. Matthew Catholic School with an event designed to help students form proper oral health habits to last a lifetime. Guardian also presented a $10,000 grant to St. Matthew Catholic School to stock non-perishable healthy snacks for students throughout the school year.
News story here.
Guardians of the Smile Creates Positive Oral Health Habits in Children
Dental care is a critical part of a person’s overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, many children in underserved communities lack access to quality dental services, which can translate into missed school days, poor school performance, pain, and health issues later in life. Studies published by the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Pediatrics correlate toothaches with lower grade point average and psychosocial well-being, respectively.
Read more at Dentistry Today.
Child Enrollment in Public Health Programs Fell by 600K Last Year
The number of kids enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — two government health plans for the poor — fell by nearly 600,000 in the first 11 months of 2018, a precipitous drop that has puzzled and alarmed many health policy analysts, while several states say it reflects the good news of an improving economy.
Enrollment in the two programs decreased by 599,000 children in the 48 states from which the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has data from December 2017 to November 2018, the last month for which numbers are available. At the beginning of that period, Medicaid and CHIP enrolled nearly 36 million children in those states.
Read more at PewTrusts.
Children’s Health Fund and Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® brought the Guardian's of the Smile campaign to Austin Texas!
December 3, 2018
NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ -- This afternoon, former pro and college football star Michael Griffin will help students at Cook Elementary School learn about the importance good oral hygiene at a fun and interactive event. K-2 students at the Austin school will brush larger-than-life teeth, wrangle giant floss, and meet the Tooth Guardian™, among several activities designed to get them thinking about good oral hygiene at an early age. Earlier this year, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian) committed $1 million to Children's Health Fund, launching the Guardians of the Smile partnership to provide quality dental care and education to children in underserved communities across the United States.
Read more at PRNewsWire.
November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
THE BRONX - More than 60,000 homeless people sleep in New York City shelters, and many of them are families in need of medical resources. That's where the New York Children's Health Project steps in.
The mobile clinic, in conjunction with Montefiore Medical Center, acts as a doctor’s office for those in need.
It comes at no cost to the homeless community for services, including physicals, flu shots and other urgent medical needs.
Read and watch the story on News 12.
On Giving Tuesday H&M and CHF brought coats to kids in the Harlem Community
In celebration of Giving Tuesday, H&M is supporting Children's Health Fund and its mission of ensuring access to high-quality healthcare for some of America's most disadvantaged children. Through a gift card sales drive online and in all stores this holiday season, H&M will donate 5% of card purchase amounts to the Children's Health Fund, with a minimum donation of $350,000 and a maximum of $500,000.
Read the full story on PRNewsWire.
Children’s Health Fund Strongly Urges Withdrawal of Changes to the Public Charge Policy
For over 30 years, Children’s Health Fund has been on the front lines delivering health care to vulnerable children and advocating in support of programs and policies to ensure that all children have access to comprehensive, high quality health care. Having fought hard to achieve historic levels of coverage and access for the nation’s most underserved children, our goal has yet to be realized and progress made now appears to be slipping from our grasp.
Read the full story.
Public charge rule is a cruel attack on children
The Trump administration marked this year's first day of fall with an outrageous new proposal, titled "Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds," that will further harm already vulnerable immigrant children and families. For the first time in our country's history, an immigrant's use of public benefits programs like Medicaid, food stamps and Section 8 housing, may become an important criterion of their green card and visa eligibility.
Read the full story at The Hill.
Children's Health Fund Welcomes New EVP/CMO
NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Health Fund (CHF) is thrilled to welcome Elizabeth Goodman, MD, MBA, as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (EVP/CMO) to further the organization's overall mission of ensuring high quality healthcare for America's most disadvantaged children. Dr. Goodman joins CHF during its 30th anniversary year in which the nonprofit has expanded its reach to children across 16 states at over 400 service delivery sites, its largest service base to date.
Read the full story at PRNewsWire.
International Medical Corps and Children's Health Fund Collaborating on Response to Hurricane Florence
Children's Health Fund is thrilled to be partnering with International Medical Corps in this response, and those to come," said Dennis Walto, CEO of Children's Health Fund. "Bringing together International Medical Corps' global and domestic emergency-response capacity and Children's Health Fund's pediatric expertise and mobility will enable us to provide children and families affected by Hurricane Florence with the vital healthcare services they need to make it through this crisis.
Kid-friendly policies must be front and center during the upcoming midterms
BY DENNIS WALTO, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR
Labor Day is rapidly upon us and soon the leaves will begin to turn color, the pennant races in baseball will heat up and this year the race for control of the House of Representatives and Senate in Washington, D.C. will undoubtedly reach a red and blue fervor.
Between now and Tuesday, Nov. 6, millions of dollars will be spent that seek to convince you that candidate A is good, and candidate B is not; and vice versa. Many leaders will profess that they are a true champion for children and ask for your vote. However, this mantle must be earned. For too long candidates have talked the talk without walking the walk.
Read the full story at The Hill
Arizona groups offer health, housing help to LGBT youth
The hospital's Health Project, also known as the Crews'n Healthmobile, provides services to homeless, runaway and at-risk youth age 24 and younger. Many youth that use the project's services lack health insurance.
Read the full story at azcentral.com
Mobile dental unit to aid areas near Nats Park
That harrowing fact is why the group of community leaders assembled at Amidon-Bowen Elementary School on Friday morning couldn't sit back idly. They were there to unveil a new mobile dental unit to replace an older one "held together by tape, bubble gum and a little bit of prayer," said Dr. Erik Scheifele, division chief of oral health at Children's National, which launched the original unit in 2001.
Read the full story at MLB.com.
Children’s Health Fund kicks off Guardians of the Smile program with appearance by China Anne McClain
Kindergarten and first grade students at PS 36 Margaret Douglas School in Manhattan were treated to a special event with actress and singer China Anne McClain to learn about the importance of good oral hygiene. The students will brush and floss giant teeth, among several fun and interactive activities designed to promote good oral hygiene at an early age.
The Guardians of the Smile event launches a nationwide partnership between The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and Children's Health Fund, who have teamed up to ensure children do not fall behind in school because of their dental health
Key Executive Joins Children’s Health Fund Board
(New York) - Children’s Health Fund, which brings high-quality health care to some of the country’s most disadvantaged children, is pleased to welcome a new member to its board of directors.
Marc Costantini, Executive Vice President of Commercial and Government Markets at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, joins the board as Children’s Health Fund celebrates the end of the first year with CEO Dennis Walto at the helm.
Chiricahua medical units bring health care to disadvantaged areas
Health care is taking a whole new form, bringing doctors to neighborhoods where regular checkups and wellness exams are nearly nonexistent.
Chiricahua Community Health Centers just purchased its fourth mobile health unit earlier this year. The mobile unit will join a fleet of three other mobile medical buses Chiricahua has wheeling around Cochise County throughout the year.
This Mobile Clinic is Like Tetris Meets a Hospital, and It’s Going to Blow Your Mind
It’s finally here, just in time for Red Nose Day! The newest Children’s Health Fund mobile health clinic just arrived in Las Vegas, ready to work with Nevada Health Centers to keep vulnerable children healthy. And it’s all because of you. Your support for Red Nose Day made this journey possible. The traveling doctor’s office is truly incredible. It’s a fully operational mobile clinic.
#84 The Children’s Health Fund with Dennis Walto
Helping us move from awareness to action this week is Dennis Walto. Dennis is the CEO of the Children’s Health Fund, an organization whose mission is to bring health care directly to homeless and low-income children and their families. Listen to learn about the future of Children’s Health Fund, the three things he’s learned over the past three years as well as the one plea he’d like to make to the world.
Red Nose Day Aims to End Child Poverty
Pat Lawson Muse speaks with community leaders who are working with NBC's initiative Red Nose Day, a campaign to end child poverty. Frank Grilli, the district manager for Walgreens, talks about the pharmacy's partnership with the effort and shares where you can buy your red nose. Also on the program are Aaron Harrington, the program direction of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and Dr. Marcee White, the medical director of The Children's Health Project of DC.
How Adam Levine, Jonah Hill and Alicia Keys' Moms Are Helping Children in Need
Adam Levine and Alicia Keys couldn’t be more proud of their moms. In a video launched on Mother’s Day, the Voice coaches recognize the “amazing work” their moms are doing through organization, YourMomCares. Levine’s mom Patsy Noah, Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein’s mom Sharon Feldstein, and Keys’ mom Terria Joseph founded YourMomCares in 2014 to help children in need.
The mom's of The Voice talk about helping children in need
The mom's of The Voice talk about helping children in need through their organization, YourMomCares.
Marc Anthony Brings Mobile Pediatric Clinic to Puerto Rico Town
Entertainer Marc Anthony presented on Thursday a mobile pediatric clinic to residents of the Puerto Rican mountain municipality of Orocovis affected by Hurricane Maria.
The mobile clinic, donated by The Children’s Health Fund (CHF), will be managed by the country’s Integral Health in the Mountain (SIM) organization.
Opinion: Melania Trump and Jeff Sessions need a heart-to-heart
Even assuming the worst, it is hard to imagine that anybody — even in this White House — planned to have Melania Trump’s seemingly heartfelt public statement about cherishing and protecting children utterly neutralized — almost mockingly — by Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ s ice-cold reiteration of protocols for dealing with immigrant families seeking asylum status in the United States.
FSAstore.com/HSAstore.com Launch New “Caring Mill” Line of Health and Wellness Products That Supports Children’s Health Fund
FSAstore.com/HSAstore.com, the largest e-commerce retailer of exclusively FSA- and HSA-eligible health, wellness and medical products, today announced the launch of Caring Mill, a new private label line of budget-friendly products that are all eligible for FSA and HSA reimbursement. With every sale of a Caring Mill product, a donation is made to Children's Health Fund, a national non-profit organization devoted to providing healthcare to underserved children throughout the United States.
Children’s Health Fund Brings Quality Health Care to America’s Disadvantaged Families
In a Nutshell: Child poverty rates in America are among the highest of all developed nations. In addition, more than 20 million children in the US lack access to quality health care. Children’s Health Fund is working to change that latter statistic by bringing health care directly to underserved families and kids in communities that need it most. Through its mobile pediatric medical clinics, also known as “big blue buses,” the Children’s Health Fund has been providing access to health care for America’s impoverished families for more than 30 years. CHF believes, by reducing the health barriers to learning, children can escape the cycle of poverty and become productive members of our society.
Salon Talks: Children’s health care in crisis
From limited access to health care, to contaminated drinking water and the growing opioid epidemic, America’s health is constantly being threatened and children are often hit the hardest. Co-founder of the Children's Health Fund and public health activist Dr. Irwin Redlener joins Salon’s Amanda Marcotte to discuss his new book, “The Future of Us: What the Dreams of Children Mean for Twenty-First-Century America,” and the biggest threats to children’s health today.
The Doctor's Office
Nuclear war. Jimmy Kimmel. Lionel Richie. What do these things have in common? Dr. Irwin Redlener. Columbia's Acacia O'Connor takes you inside the doctor's office on this episode of The Low Down.
New mobile children’s clinic addresses gap in care for Las Vegas
At-risk Las Vegas-area children will have another option in securing medical care beginning this summer.
A fully operational mobile clinic will debut in a partnership between the Children’s Health Fund and Nevada Health Centers, and most important, it can’t turn a child away, says Randal Christensen, chief medical officer of Nevada Health Centers.
Celebrity Moms Donate To Children's Health
The mothers of some of Hollywoods biggest names were in the Bronx Wednesday in an effort to help disadvantaged children.
The moms, who make up the group Your Mom Cares, donated $50,000 to the Children's Health Fund. The money will go towards mental health screening and treatment.
The group includes the mothers of singers Alicia Keys and Adam Levine, and actors Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein.
We still haven’t made things right in Flint
In many ways my trip last month to Flint, Mich. — now the symbolic epicenter of how bad decisions, bad politics and ill-advised money-saving measures can seriously and permanently harm children — was more depressing than the first time I visited that struggling city in 2016.
Dentist on wheels: Mobile clinic brings care to low-income children
After watching her older sister get fluoride varnish applied to her teeth, 3-year-old Trashal Rai started crying when it was her turn.
The Nepalese sisters weren’t in a traditional dentist’s office. Instead, they were receiving care in a mobile clinic parked along a curb outside Family Health Services‘ Twin Falls medical clinic.
Dental hygienist Lindsey Taylor used a translator phone — with an interpreter on the line — to help communicate with the family.
Teen Xpress offers teens free mobile health care
"We don't know what would have happened if he hadn't found us, we don't know where his life would've been," Vento said.
Since the Orlando Health program began in 1997, over 15,000 uninsured teenagers have received medical or mental health care services.
Stopgap funding endangers key federal program for health care shortage areas
As congress debates funding to prevent the government from shutting down it must also fund expired federal programs like the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) that ensure health access to children and families.
According to data just published, there are more than 82 million peopleliving in more than seven thousand primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in the United States — and it is estimated that of the tens of millions of families living in HPSAs, almost 20 million are children.
Most states don’t require that kids be checked for health issues
Most U.S. states don’t require that children be screened for health conditions that can affect learning, according to new research supported by the Children’s Health Fund (CHF).
CHF's Dr. Marcee White, Medical Director of The Children’s Health Project of D.C. speaks about The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Health care for 9 million children is at risk, as states begin to notify families that they may need to seek other insurance options. CHF's Dr. Marcee White, Medical Director of The Children’s Health Project of D.C. speaks to Soledad O'Brien and Matter of Fact about The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Failure to reauthorize CHIP is a health care disaster for American children
While a largely restored economy brings glad tidings and hope to many in our country at the end of 2017, low-income families remain burdened with a host of unresolved issues that threaten to undermine the child health safety net they depend on.
So, as we give thanks and celebrate the holidays, we must remember this important fact: Children are not just tomorrow — they are today. The stock market reaches new highs, yet pragmatism and principle demand an additional investment: our children.
Child Homelessness In NYC
Dr. Irwin Redlener addresses the growing crisis of child homelessness in New York City on The Leonard Lopate Show.
YSF - "Chasing the Dream" (Pediatric Mobile Clinic)
The goal is to shed a light on inequities in our community - highlighting the problems caused by poverty but also the solutions. This week we highlight a clinic on wheels that’s providing medical care to Miami's neediest families.
Guest Commentary: Community health centers, America's largest primary-care network, are in jeopardy
The Community Health Centers Fund expired Oct. 1. It accounts for 70% of all federal grants for community health centers. As America's largest primary-care network, CHCs are crucial for many of America's most medically underserved children and families, especially those living in rural areas. Unless Congress acts, these drastic cuts will negatively affect millions of children in every corner of the country.
Way to Go!: Téa Cotronis, of Port Washington
A Port Washington student chose to pay it forward for her 10th birthday by encouraging family and friends to donate funds for hurricane relief in lieu of gifts.
Téa Cotronis, a fifth-grader at John Philip Sousa Elementary School, reaped $400 last month after she sent out birthday invitations with a note at the bottom requesting the donations. She gave the money to the Children’s Health Fund,...
Dreams deferred: Dr. Irwin Redlener makes a case for fulfilling all kids' dreams
William wouldn't show his eyes.
The guarded, gaunt 10-year-old gazed at the floor of Dr. Irwin Redlener’s mobile pediatric unit parked in his Brooklyn neighborhood, answering the pediatrician's questions in monosyllables.
Then Redlener, who dreamed up the mobile unit — a big blue bus — with his wife, Karen, and singer-songwriter Paul Simon to bring health care to the inner-city poor, asked William what he calls “the big question”: What do you want to be when you grow up?
“It’s like I turned on a light switch," Redlener writes in his new book, "The Future of Us" (Columbia University Press, 2017). "Almost every child responds. Maybe that’s because to them the question means ‘I care about you.’"
Taking their toll: Hurricanes test resolve of pediatricians
The Florida flooding didn’t deter Lisa A. Gwynn, D.O., M.B.A., CPE, FAAP, for long. Based at Miami Miller School of Medicine, she oversees a pediatric mobile health clinic affiliated with the Children’s Health Fund, as well as nine school-based health clinics. Before the clinic went back on the road to see patients, Dr. Gwynn had the team decompress.
“We let everybody vent and get their own experiences out so we could be there for each other, because it’s difficult to respond to disaster when you’re going through it also,” she said.
Q&A: Children and PTSD after Hurricane Harvey
Dr. Julie Kaplow founded the Trauma and Grief Center at the University of Michigan in 2012 before moving it to the University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 2014, and then to the Texas Children's Hospital in August, before Harvey struck.
The center will open the Harvey Resiliency and Recovery Program in early October to provide risk screenings, assessments and help to children ages 7 to 17 who are at high risk of developing PTSD after the storm. The new program was funded in part by Children's Health Fund, through a donation by singer-songwriter Paul Simon, who co-founded the organization, and his wife, singer and Texas-native Edie Brickell.
Houston Stronger
Watching the water level slowly rise outside her house, seven-year-old Molly wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. Her Mom and Dad were monitoring the weather channel and checking their phones constantly trying to both assess the current situation and anticipate what might come next. They were playing it cool but they were clearly nervous; they had shared with Molly that if the water level from Hurricane Harvey got much higher, they would have to go upstairs to their neighbor’s apartment to stay safe. They had also said that at any minute the electricity could go out and not to be afraid. But while the lights were still on, the power had already been transferred and was now in Molly’s hand, in the form of a flashlight that she clung to for when it would go dark. Molly took her role seriously and kept going from window to window of their Houston apartment reporting on the water level and asking if it was time to go upstairs. Soon, the water was all around their building and brave Molly asked, “…what happens if we can never get out?”
Hurricane Irma Preparedness
Irwin Redlener, president of the Children's Health Fund, professor of pediatrics and director of pediatrics, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, and author of the forthcoming The Future of Us: What the Dreams of Children Mean for Twenty-First Century America (Columbia University Press, 2017), talks about how individuals and governments prepare for Hurricane Irma.
Post-Katrina lessons for Harvey's returning students
While the post-Harvey educational context differs from New Orleans – which experienced a mandatory evacuation, major loss of life, and a state takeover of the school system – some of the insights gained as Katrina kids have grown up can help guide school officials in both the flooded Texas districts and the districts welcoming displaced students.
For one, the number of moves a student has to make can chip away at educational progress. A report five years after Katrina noted that 34 percent of the affected middle- and high-school students were at least one grade level behind in school, compared to 19 percent of all children in the South.
They were also 4.5 times more likely than their peers nationwide to have symptoms consistent with serious emotional disturbance, according to the study, by the Children’s Health Fund, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and the National Center for Disaster Preparedness.
Our Teeth Are Making Us Sick
In the South Bronx, Diana Cardona works as a dentist out of a giant blue truck, in a program run by the Children’s Health Fund and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. The program gets federal funds to serve poor communities.
“Can you fix this?” a woman once asked as she spat six crowns into her hand one by one.
A Founder of the Children’s Health Fund Packs Up His Doctor’s Bag
In 1986, as New York City reeled from a crack epidemic and runaway violence, Paul Simon, the musician, and Irwin Redlener, a doctor, paid a visit to one of the city’s notorious welfare hotels, the Martinique in Midtown Manhattan.
The two had been working together to raise money and awareness for children in Africa, as part of the “We Are the World” campaign, when it occurred to Mr. Simon that perhaps they could also address urgent needs closer to home.
We Followed The Money To Learn How Red Noses End Poverty
The New Orleans Children’s Health Project is a partnership with Children’s Health Fund and gets funding from Red Nose Day. We meet Dr. Kim Mukerjee, a pediatrician for NOCHP, and Jeanne McKay, NOCHP’s senior program manager, at Tulane’s School of Medicine in Downtown New Orleans.
McKay tells me their program was born out of Hurricane Katrina and the response to the disaster. Nearly 12 years later, the issues they face are still connected to the storm, but not in the way you might think.
It's Ride On For Red Nose Day!
Cyclists will end their inaugural ride from California's Central Coast to Las Vegas this evening.
The event raises money for many needed programs like Three Square and the Children's Health Fund medical mobile unit.
We got a sneak peek at one of these buses rolling into town for the public event which starts at 5:30 pm at the Walgreens near MGM.
Red Nose Day Fundraiser Makes Stop in Queens
A funny-looking fundraiser collected money for a cause that's no laughing matter.
Borough President Melinda Katz and officials from Walgreens and the Children's Health Fund celebrated Red Nose Day Thursday. The annual event raises money for nonprofits that help children living in poverty by selling clown noses.
At Thursday's celebration, Katz toured The Children's Health Fund mobile unit, which was parked in front of Borough Hall.
Children’s Health Fund's Emergency Response Fund
When disaster strikes, it’s children who often suffer the most, especially kids living in poverty. Whether it’s a flood, hurricane or epidemic, Children’s Health Fund is committed to both responding quickly and staying for the long haul. The ability to act swiftly is critical in emergency response, and as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have shown us, major disasters can strike in quick succession, making the need for ready resources even more important. It is for that reason the Children’s Health Fund Emergency Response Fund has been established. The CHF Emergency Response Fund will allow us to quickly deploy to the scene of a disaster to support children and families who immediately need our help, and will give us the resources necessary to address long-term recovery, an often long and arduous process.
World Renowned Artist and Biotech Entrepreneur Join Children’s Health Fund Board
Apr 24, 2017
(New York) - Children’s Health Fund, the nation’s premier nonprofit healthcare organization for disadvantaged children, announced two new members of its board of directors this week.
World-renowned artist Chuck Close and biotech entrepreneur Dipal Doshi join the board as Children’s Health Fund enters its 30th year of service.
“We are pleased to welcome Chuck and Dipal into the Children’s Health Fund family,” said Co-Founder and President Dr. Irwin Redlener. “Both add crucial and diverse perspectives to our board of directors which will help guide the strategic direction of our organization. Considerable challenges remain for poor children in America, especially regarding access to quality health care. In uncertain times like today, the mission of Children’s Health Fund is as important as ever. We are fortunate to have leadership on our board that reflects a commitment to meeting the needs of children well into the future.”
New administration must put children's health and education first
Op-ed from The Hill
Jan 19, 2016
Poor educational attainment has its roots in early childhood, with many children not adequately prepared to read at grade level in the early elementary years. There are many reasons for less than optimal academic performance, but too often among these reasons are health conditions that have been unrecognized or under-managed.
These conditions, referred to in our report as “Health Barriers to Learning” (HBLs), include the following: uncontrolled asthma, uncorrected vision problems, unaddressed hearing loss, dental problems, persistent hunger, certain untreated mental health and behavioral problems, and effects of lead exposure. Left untreated or under-managed, HBLs can adversely affect children’s ability to see, hear and pay attention in the classroom, their ability and motivation to learn, their attendance, their academic performance, and even their chances of graduating from high school. These particular HBLs have been identified due to their prevalence, evidence of their link to learning, and availability of effective screening and treatment approaches.
Read the full story on The Hill.
Children's Health Fund Releases Health Barriers to Learning Literature Review: "The Prevalence and Educational Consequences in Disadvantaged Children"
Jan 16, 2016
Maximizing the educational experience and success of every child in America must be a priority and a critical national goal. Vitally important for each child and family as a pathway out of poverty, the issue is also larger. If the nation is to remain economically stable, prosperous, innovative, and influential internationally over the coming decades, it is essential that children are healthy and well-educated, graduate from high school on time, and perform at their full potential. Unfortunately, many children are not ready even for kindergarten, and even less for the rigors of the educational demands later in life.
Poor educational attainment has its roots in early childhood. Many children are not adequately prepared to read at grade level in the early elementary years; they subsequently struggle to perform in middle school, and are unable to graduate from high school on time. There are many reasons for less than optimal academic performance, especially for children who live with persistent adversities or chronic stress. However, too often, among these reasons are health conditions that have been unrecognized or undermanaged.
'Wow, maybe somebody cares': Parkland mobile clinics help society's forgotten
The Dallas Morning News Reports
Nov 22, 2016
A Cuban immigrant, a woman recovering from meth addiction and a young man fresh out of prison sat on a bus in the parking lot of the Salvation Army shelter. From different walks of life, they found themselves in the same place — homeless and long in need of medical care.
On this bus, though, they will see a doctor even though they don't have health insurance and can't pay hospital bills.
The mobile medical clinic — a blue bus outfitted as an exam room — is one of six run by Parkland Memorial Hospital's HOMES, or Homeless Outreach Medical Services. The program provides free health care and dental care to people at 30 shelters around the county.
Altogether, the network serves roughly 9,300 patients a year. One-fifth of them are children.
Read the full story on The Dallas News website.
The New York Times Reports on Our Landmark New Study
Major NYT Story Covers "Unfinished Business: More than 20 Million Children in the US Still Lack Access to Essential Health Care"
Nov 21, 2016
The New York Times has covered the report in a major story entitled, "Many Insured Children Lack Essential Health Care, Study Finds." Click here to read the full story on the New York Times website.
Children's Health Fund Releases Groundbreaking Study "Unfinished Business: More than 20 Million Children in the US Still Lack Access to Essential Health Care"
Nov 21, 2016
New York, NY (November 21, 2016) –Children’s Health Fund (CHF), a national health care nonprofit dedicated to medically underserved children across the U.S., today released a new report titled, “Unfinished Business: More Than 20 Million Children in the U.S. Still Lack Sufficient Access to Essential Health Care.”
Children’s Health Fund’s analyses show that 20.3 million U.S. children—28% of the pediatric population under the age of 18—are without adequate health care is based on three considerations: a) children who are uninsured, b) those who are insured, but do not receive regular primary care, and c) children who are publicly insured, connected to primary care, but do not receive essential and timely specialty care. CHF’s conclusions were derived from research into national health data sets as well as its own clinical experiences and programmatic data.
MetTel Announces Partnership With Children's Health Fund
Leading Communications Solutions Provider Pledges $75K Over Two Years
Nov 02, 2016
MetTel, a leading communications solutions provider for enterprises and businesses, announced today that it has become a Philanthropic Partner of the Children's Health Fund. MetTel's pledge of $75K over the course of two years will support the non-profit's mission of delivering high-quality healthcare to America's most disadvantaged children.
Children's Health Fund envisions a future where all children in America get the care they need to be healthy and ready to reach their potential in learning and in life. In manifesting that vision, Children's Health Fund develops innovative and comprehensive models, reduces health barriers to learning, addresses the needs of vulnerable children in times of public health crisis, and advocates for the health and well-being of America's most vulnerable children.
"We are so appreciative of MetTel's support and partnership approach," said Dennis Walto, Executive Director, Children's Health Fund. "MetTel is committed to exploring ways to help Children's Health Fund by leveraging MetTel's strengths and Children's Health Fund's expertise. We look forward to working side by side to identify the most relevant and sustainable solutions for the children we serve."
"MetTel carefully assessed several non-profit initiatives and was won over by Children's Health Fund and what they're doing for underprivileged children across America," said Marshall Aronow, CEO of MetTel. "For us, this isn't about a short-term contribution, but a long-term partnership where we're not only providing financial support, we're also working together to expand access to health care through integration with the latest technology."
MetTel has not only focused on sponsoring the organization, but also wants to help Children's Health Fund reach more children through telehealth solutions, which deliver healthcare, health information or health education through computers, tablets as well as other mobile and wearable technology. With MetTel's Telehealth and Mobile solutions, Children's Health Fund would be able to leverage secure and reliable communications technology to connect doctors with children that are in need or underserved, such as those living in rural areas.
About Children's Health Fund
Children's Health Fund was created in in 1987 in response to an unacceptable situation. For thousands of kids packed into New York City's homeless shelters, their chance for the future was dim. That inspired singer/songwriter Paul Simon and pediatrician/child advocate Irwin Redlener, MD, to do something life-changing for these children. Adequate medical care was an essential first step in helping them to be healthy and ready to learn, to have dreams and the hope of achieving them. Today, Children's Health Fund has 50 mobile clinics, each a "doctor's offices on wheels," serving hundreds of locations across the country. And, over the past 29 years, the organization has grown to support over 250,000 health care encounters annually for disadvantaged children. For more information, visit childrenshealthfund.org or follow us on Twitter (@chfund).
About MetTel
MetTel is a leading global provider of customized, integrated and managed communications solutions for enterprise customers. By converging all communications over a proprietary network, MetTel enables enterprise companies to easily deploy and manage technology-driven voice, data, wireless and cloud solutions globally. With one of the most comprehensive offerings, the highest quality customer care and project management and the ability to help manage, maintain and secure your communications needs, our portfolio of customer-centric solutions boosts enterprise productivity, reduces costs and simplifies operations. Combining customized and managed communication solutions with a powerful platform of cloud-based software, the company's MetTel Portal® enables customers to manage their inventory, usage, spend and repairs from one simple, user friendly interface. MetTel was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York City. For more information visit www.mettel.net, follow us on Twitter (@OneMetTel) and on LinkedIn, or call us directly at 877.963.8663.
MetTel. Smart Communications Solutions.™
The team from Children's Health Fund's new project in Flint welcome the arrival of the Community Support and Resilience Clinic, which provides mental health services to the community.
Michigan Representative Dan Kildee Unveils Second Big Blue Mobile Clinic
Community Support and Resilence Clinic Brings Mental Health Services to Flint
FLINT, MI (September 16, 2016) – In response to increased demand for mental health services, and through the leadership support of the Council for Michigan Foundations, a Children’s Health Fund (CHF) mobile medical clinic designed to take high quality mental health services on the road directly to the residents of Flint, was delivered today at the Flint Farmers’ Market. Through a newly designed “Community Support & Resilience Program”, the mobile clinic will provide the expanded resources and essential tools needed to help area children and families respond to effects of the city’s water crisis.
The clinic will be operated through a partnership between Genesee Health System (GHS) and Children’s Health Fund. U.S. Representative Dan Kildee, Pastor Rigel Dawson, and Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Flint Area Program Director Kimberly Roberson, joined Genesee Health System CEO Dan Russell and Children’s Health Fund’s Senior VP/Chief Medical Officer Dr. Delaney Gracy and other partners at the Market to celebrate the clinic’s launch. The mobile clinic was made possible with lead funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and with additional support from other Michigan foundations including the Ruth Mott Foundation, Flinn Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.
“Flint families face unique health challenges because of the water crisis and will now have more access to the medical care they need. I am thankful for the work Genesee Health System and Children’s Health Fund do to help the people of Flint, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this new mobile clinic has on our community,” said Congressman Dan Kildee.
CHF first brought mobile medical clinics to Michigan in 2009 in response to the severe recession and, with support from Michigan’s Senator Stabenow, subsequently established an ongoing project in Detroit to provide comprehensive health care services to medically underserved children. With the support of Morgan Stanley, Sanofi Corporation and other partners, in February 2016 the Fund sent an initial mobile clinic to Flint in response to the city’s water crisis. That unit has since helped Genesee Health System’s Community Health Center provide lead testing, health education and case management services to more than 1000 Flint residents affected by the crisis.
“When the Flint Water Crisis began, we knew that there was a need for immediate crisis counseling and began offering it to the community. As the crisis continues, we know that more services for stress, anxiety and other mental health concerns will need to be provided,” said Dan Russell, CEO of GHS. “We are thrilled to work with the Children’s Health Fund, CS Mott
Foundation and other supporters to provide a mobile venue to meet the community in the neighborhoods. We know that this is a needed service for the community, and this partnership makes it possible.”
“We are so grateful to CS Mott Foundation and other supporters of this program,” said Dr. Delaney Gracy, Chief Medical Officer, Children’s Health Fund. “We know from past experience that the fluidity of the mobile response model, combined with community events, workshops and training, can truly bring support where needed, and can engage and empower communities. We are looking forward to continue and expand our work with our partners at GHS and the children and families of Flint. Our model is to be guided by what families tell us they need and want as the recovery unfolds. This program belongs to them.”
Kimberly Roberson, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Program Director added that “…Through our support for community schools in Flint, the Mott Foundation has seen first-hand the value of addressing stress in children’s lives, and the remarkable effect such simple practices as mindfulness can have on their mental and physical health,” said Roberson. “We’re pleased to provide support for an initiative that’s going to meet people where they are to provide the help they need.”
The mobile clinics are now out in the Flint community providing valuable health resources and education. The Flint Children’s Health Project is fully integrated into local health systems and providers.
Children’s Health Fund is particularly interested in making sure that children who have been exposed to lead are not further burdened by unidentified or undertreated health conditions that are known to interfere with optimal development or learning in children. These conditions known as “Health Barriers to Learning” (HBLs) include vision and hearing deficits, persistent symptomatic asthma, persistent dental pain, behavioral issues, and recurrent hunger. Lead exposure is also considered a HBL.
Children’s Health Fund has done extensive work following many U.S. major disasters that have had particular impact on children already at risk. Previous deployments followed Hurricane Andrew in Florida, the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact in Louisiana and Mississippi, the BP oil spill, and Superstorm Sandy that struck the mid-Atlantic region.
ABOUT GENESEE HEALTH SYSTEM
Genesee Health System (formerly Genesee County Community Mental Health) has served the
Genesee County community for over 50 years. They provide services and supports for adults with serious mental illness, children with severe emotional disturbances, adolescents and
adults with substance use disorders and adults and children with developmental disabilities. In addition, services include primary care provided by the Genesee Community Health Center. Thefocus is on the health of the whole individual. For more information, visit www.genhs.org
ABOUT CHILDREN’S HEALTH FUND
Children’s Health Fund was created in in 1987 in response to an unacceptable situation. For thousands of kids packed into New York City’s homeless shelters, their chance for the future was dim. That inspired singer/songwriter Paul Simon and pediatrician/child advocate Irwin Redlener, MD, to do something life-changing for these children. Adequate medical care was an essential first step in helping them to be healthy and ready to learn, to have dreams and the hope of achieving them. Today, Children’s Health Fund has 50 mobile clinics, each a “doctor’s offices on wheels,” serving hundreds of locations across the country. And, over the past 29 years, the organization has grown to support over 250,000 health care encounters annually for disadvantaged children. For more information, visit www.childrenshealthfund.org.
ABOUT CHARLES STEWART MOTT FOUNDATION
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, established in 1926 in Flint, Michigan, by an automotive pioneer, is a private philanthropy committed to supporting projects that promote a just, equitable and sustainable society. It supports nonprofit programs throughout the United States and, on a limited geographic basis, internationally. Grant making is focused in four programs: Civil Society, Environment, Flint Area and Education. In addition to Flint, offices are located in metropolitan Detroit, Johannesburg and London. With year-end assets of approximately $2.7 billion in 2015, the Foundation made 400 grants totaling more than $119 million. For more information, visit www.mott.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Renée Keswick, MTD
Manager, Communication and Public Relations
Genesee Health System
810-424-6090
Duane Elling
Communications Officer
CS Mott Foundation
810-766-1779
Dennis Walto, MA
Executive Director
Children’s Health Fund
212-535-9400, ext. 266
Robyn Bryan
Communications Assistant
Representative Dan Kildee
202-225-3611
Every young person from 0 to 19 years old -- regardless of his or her immigration status -- has a right to access medical services, proclaimed City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito in a press conference announcing a $1.5million dollar Immigrant Health Initiative that will expand legal, medical and translation services for undocumented immigrants in NYC. The initiative will operate in partnership with Terra Firma (http://www.terrafirma.nyc/), the groundbreaking program run by Children's Health Fund, Montefiore Health System and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.
NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito stands with Honduran immigrant Shery Álvarez as the team from Terra Firma look on.
City Receives Grant to Support Undocumented Immigrants
Partnership with our Terra Firma program continues to grow
08/12/2016
Irwin Redlener, MD; Sen. Senator Debbie Stabenow; Dennis Walto; Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD; and Delaney Gracy, MD launch the new mobile medical clinic in Flint, Michigan.
Children’s Health Fund Responds to Lead Crisis in Flint; Dispatches Iconic Medical Clinic to Help Urgent Efforts for Lead Exposed Kids
MI Senator Debbie Stabenow and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver Welcome Big Blue Doctor’s Office on Wheels to Hurley Children’s Hospital
FLINT, MI (February 12, 2016) – In response to requests for assistance from federal, state and local authorities, New York-based non-profit Children’s Health Fund (CHF) has deployed one of its fleet of big blue mobile medical clinics from New York City to Flint, MI to help provide health resources to children who have been exposed to lead in the two years since the city switched its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. CHF’s iconic mobile clinic will be integrated into the services coordinated by Hurley Children’s Hospital in Flint, a division of Hurley Medical Center.
“This mobile medical clinic will make an enormous difference in the lives of thousands of Flint children,” said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. “This clinic will give hope to families in Flint who are so worried about their children's health and safety. I am very pleased to be a long-time partner with the Children's Health Fund, and I am grateful they have responded to our request for help for Flint children.”
CHF first brought mobile medical clinics to Michigan in 2009 in response to the severe recession and, with support from Senator Stabenow, subsequently established an ongoing project in Detroit to provide comprehensive health care services to medically underserved children. A second mobile pediatric clinic expanded service there in 2013.
The big blue doctor’s office on wheels will soon be out in the Flint community providing valuable health resources and education. The program, named the “Flint Children’s Health Project,” will be fully integrated into local health systems and providers.
“It is critical that Flint children have the necessary support and resources to help mitigate the long-term impacts of lead exposure,” said U.S. Senator Gary Peters. “I applaud the Children’s Health Fund’s efforts to support Flint families and help Flint recover from this crisis.”
“I thank the Children’s Health Fund for stepping to help Flint’s children receive the care they deserve,” Congressman Dan Kildee said. “Getting Flint children the health, nutritional and developmental support they need right now will be help to mitigate the challenges associated with lead exposure in the future. These wrap-around services are critical to our community as we look to overcome this crisis.”
”As a licensed clinical psychologist, I know firsthand the effects of lead exposure on children,” said Dr. Karen Weaver, Mayor of Flint. “It is toxic to many organs and tissues, resulting in permanent learning and behavior disorders, lowered IQ, developmental delays and cognitive deficits. This mobile pediatric clinic will be a valuable tool in making sure children in Flint affected by this lead crisis get the care and treatment that they need and deserve. We appreciate this resource and those who thought enough of our children to send it.”
Dr. Irwin Redlener, a pediatrician who is president of Children’s Health Fund and professor of public health at Columbia University, said, “We can’t turn back time and reverse the impact of lead exposure in children exposed to contaminated water. But we can make sure that every child and family has access to the screening, health care, intensive medical support and follow-up that is necessary to minimize whatever challenges they face as a result of the toxic exposure.”
Children’s Health Fund is particularly interested in making sure that children who have been exposed to lead are not further burdened by unidentified or undertreated health conditions that are known to interfere with optimal development or learning in children. These conditions known as “Health Barriers to Learning” (HBLs) include vision and hearing deficits, persistent symptomatic asthma, persistent dental pain, behavioral issues, and recurrent hunger. Lead exposure is also considered a HBL.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, head of the Pediatric Public Health Initiative in Flint, will be coordinating the Children’s Health Fund partnership with Hurley Children’s Hospital, where she serves as Director of Pediatric Public Health Initiatives for Hurley and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Dr. Mona, as she is universally called, sounded the alarm when her research revealed a significant increase in lead levels in the blood of Flint children. Once the scope of the lead pollution was exposed, she has been focused on solutions to this public health crisis.
"The creation of this new mobile medical clinic will help give Flint children a better chance at future success. We look forward to working with all of our partners in an attempt to make this effective for our community," said Dr. Mona.
Children’s Health Fund has done extensive work following many U.S. major disasters that have had particular impact on children already at risk. Previous deployments followed Hurricane Andrew in Florida, the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact in Louisiana and Mississippi, the BP oil spill, and Superstorm Sandy that struck the mid-Atlantic region. Children’s Health Fund’s partner in responding to large-scale disasters is the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute and the Mailman School of Public Health.
ABOUT CHILDREN’S HEALTH FUND
Children’s Health Fund was created in in 1987 in response to an unacceptable situation. For thousands of kids packed into New York City’s homeless shelters, their chance for the future was dim. That inspired singer/songwriter Paul Simon and pediatrician/child advocate Irwin Redlener, MD, to do something life-changing for these children. Adequate medical care was an essential first step in helping them to be healthy and ready to learn, to have dreams and the hope of achieving them. Today, Children’s Health Fund has 50 mobile clinics, each a “doctor’s offices on wheels,” serving hundreds of locations across the country. And, over the past 28 years, the organization has grown to support over 250,000 health care encounters annually for disadvantaged children. For more information, visit childrenshealthfund.org.
CONTACTS:
Matt Williams
Michigan Communications Director
Office of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)/202-360-5014
Ilene Cantor
Hurley Medical Center
810-625-0842
Drea Braxmeier
DKC
202.552.5446
The University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital Mobile Medical Unit is introduced during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Excel Academy of South Shore on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, at the University of Chicago. (Photo by Joel Wintermantle)
Morgan Stanley Foundation, Children’s Health Fund and University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital Unveil New Pediatric Mobile Medical Clinic Benefitting Thousands of Chicago Youth
“Doctor’s office on wheels” brings state-of-the-art medical services, breaking down barriers for those most in need
November 11, 2015
Medically underserved children living in neighborhoods on Chicago’s South and West sides will benefit from increased access to healthcare following today’s unveiling of a state-of-the-art Children’s Health Fund mobile medical clinic. This “doctor’s office on wheels” was made possible through a generous grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation and will be operated in partnership with University of Chicago Medicine and Comer Children’s Hospital.
The pediatric mobile medical clinic will provide thousands of children with access to high quality care, resulting in more than 1,400 medical encounters each year across Chicago. The launch of the new mobile medical clinic is part of the Morgan Stanley Foundation’s support of Children’s Health Fund’s Urban Health Initiative which supports children across the country to live healthier lives.
The medical mobile clinic was recently featured at the American Public Health Association Conference in Chicago.
The CCHP provides services to children and adolescents in medically-underserved areas through collaborations with over 28 public schools, as well as two Head Start Programs and a therapeutic day school. With this initiative CHF continues its longstanding commitment to helping schools and parents to address “health barriers to learning” – medical conditions and issues, such as poor vision and obesity, and mental health issues that, if not quickly and appropriately handled, can undermine a child’s chance for educational success. Efforts to bring high caliber “medical home” care to school children helps them avoid chronic absenteeism and have the best possible chance to succeed in school.
The new mobile medical clinic made possible by Morgan Stanley will replace an aging unit that has served South Side schools for more than a decade. Equipped with the most advanced clinical equipment and resources available in a mobile health setting, the clinic will allow the Comer Children’s staff to visit more schools and offer a broader range of service including acute care, chronic illness management and health education.
The launch of the new mobile medical clinic is part of Morgan Stanley’s support of the Urban Health Initiative which supports children across the country to live healthier lives. The Urban Health Initiative is a reflection of Children’s Health Fund’s and Morgan Stanley Foundation’s shared commitment to building stronger, healthier communities by providing health care access for medically-underserved children.
Morgan Stanley Foundation’s support of the Urban Health Initiative has allowed Children’s Health Fund programs in New York, Chicago Miami, and San Francisco to provide children with a comprehensive set of health care services helping them to live healthier lives and reducing access disparities in the communities we serve.
Deborah Snider, third from right, leading a Zumba class in Terra Firma’s group therapy program. (Photo: Kirsten Luce for The New York Times)
After a Border Crossing, a Joyous Haven in the South Bronx
The New York Times reports on our Terra Firma program for Immigrant Youth
October 22, 2015
Joy boomed from the speaker on the reception desk, the irrepressible rhythm of reggaeton transforming the waiting room of a South Bronx medical clinic into a late-afternoon Zumba class.
Teenagers from Honduras and Guatemala were shimmying to the beat, their workout part of an unusual form of therapy for many who had endured unimaginable trauma not so long ago. About the same time, in the quiet of Exam Room 10, a lawyer was preparing immigration documents for his client to sign.
Here, at this outpost of Montefiore Medical Center, exists what is believed to be the only legal-medical partnership in the country designed specifically for children who crossed the Mexican border illegally and are trying to settle into their new communities. Known as Terra Firma, the program began in October 2013, months before the surge of unaccompanied minors entering the United States.