HealthConnect in Our Community: A local solution to access barriers

When S-CHIP first began, Florida was praised as a state leading the nation toward covering all kids. Florida had effective enrollment, marketing and outreach strategies. Soon thereafter, the state cut all outreach efforts, complicated enrollment and slashed the waiting list. Enrollment plummeted. With nearly 720,000 uninsured children, Florida now ranks 49th in the nation for its rate of uninsured children.

The Children's Trust of Miami-Dade County invests local tax dollars to improve the lives of children and families. Among its central goals is connecting all children to medical homes. In 2006, The Children's Trust launched a 3 component program called “HealthConnect.” HealthConnect includes school health, home visitation, and HealthConnect in Our Community, which places community health workers, or “Connectors,” directly in communities to find families before they delay needed care, or use an ED unnecessarily. Connectors, hired from within the community, complete a certification program and integrate with the other components of HealthConnect.

The Children's Trust has invests over $3 million in Connector training, salaries and infrastructure. Connectors work in the county's most underserved neighborhoods. In year one, 43 Connectors have been employed and trained in the program; outreach services were provided to over 22,500 children/families; and more intensive assistance was provided to over 14,000 navigating the healthcare system. Over 30% of those served were children, half of those, under age five. In Miami-Dade County, blacks comprise 17%, Hispanics 60% and Haitians 4% of the population. The population served was 31% non-Hispanic black, 17% Haitian and 50% white Hispanic.