The Components of Pediatric Outreach
and CHANCE
In an effort to provide complete health care services to the young people of our community, St. Bernard Hospital created the CHANCE concept for pediatric outreach.
CHANCE stands for Comprehensive Health and Advocacy Network for the Children of Englewood.
Through these key components, Englewood youth are afforded vital services throughout their childhood, from infancy to high school graduation.
The Pediatric Mobile Health Unit is St. Bernard’s clinic on wheels. Visitng elementary and secondary schools throughout South Side Chicago, the PMHU provides school and sports physical exams, immunizations, and health referrals.
In some cases, a child’s only consistent health care experience is the PMHU - an invaluable resource for parents, schools, and children alike.
The state-of-the-art Dental Center at St. Bernard Hospital offers a holistic approach to oral health care that includes early intervention, treatment and prevention, and education for children, parents, teachers, and healthcare providers.
Opened in January 2007, the clinic is one of Englewood’s most prolific health care destinations - a dental home for families throughout the community.
Early in life, newborns are required to meet state guidelines for standard immunizations. Yet, parents hectic schedules and the challenges of raising an infant often distract from meeting the vaccine schedule. However, the Baby Immunization Tracking System (BITS) helps parents adhere to that schedule and keep their child up to date on proper immunizations.
The BITS program (along with family-oriented “I-CARE”) includes ongoing reminders, an annual family party, and the piece of mind that children are free of disease from the moment they enter the world.
These programs, combined with the hospital’s Strategic Partnerships (Family Focus, SIDS of Illinois,Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago), provide a comprehensive approach to holistic health care services for children.
In 2009, St. Bernard Hospital will re-launch CHANCE with a new schedule of services including scheduled CHANCE Days, held quarterly at St. Bernard Hospital, and featuring the Pediatric Mobile Health Unit, check-ups in the Dental Center, a special visiting eye care professional, and information for families about BITS and our strategic partnerships.
The schedule for CHANCE Days will be announced in January.
THE DENTAL CENTER
The Dental Center at St. Bernard Hospital is among the community’s most technologically-advanced health care destinations.
Through the generous support of ongoing benefactors, the hospital is able to provide exceptional services to an underserved community which suffers from lack of oral health treatment and prevention.
Perhaps the greatest example of the Dental Center’s cutting edge approach is a remarkable Panoramic X-Ray machine, which captures wrap-around views of tooth development, allowing for unprecedented evaluation of jaw fractures and structure.
In total, the Dental Center is a huge success in the community, as scheduled appointments continue to rise while word spreads that top notch oral health care is both available and affordable in Englewood.
“We are seeing children with many different kinds of oral health needs,” says Dental Services Director Dr. Vipul Singhal, “and we meet parents who have dedicated themselves to finding these services for their children. It’s exactly the reason that St. Bernard created this Dental Center.”
