Program Details

Practice Type:	Model
Program Name:	Southwest Missouri Child Care Provider Health Conference
Organization:	Springfield-Greene County Health Department
Web site:
Overview:	Southwest Missouri Child Care Provider Health Conference
Year Submitted:	2011
Responsiveness and Innovation:	Generally, child care providers are women, who work long hours of each day, do not have health insurance, and are paid minimum wage. These factors limit access to health care. The health fair conference offers child care providers an avenue to obtain the required TB skin test, to access preventive care health and safety education clock hours. The vaccines provided at the conference are recommended for care givers of young children by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, (ACIP). This includes seasonal influenza, Tdap, Hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps and rubella, and pneumococcal vaccine. The screenings are indicated for adult women and include blood pressure, body mass index, depression and anxiety, blood sugar, hemoglobin, vision, hearing, dental, cholesterol, skin cancer, and breast examinations. All participants with an abnormal result are referred to local healthcare providers for follow up care. The conference addresses both primary and secondary levels of prevention in public health. Community partners have built relationships throughout the years by identifying their contribution and expertise for the success of the event. Therefore, the conference addresses the following public health categories: access to care, chronic disease and immunizations.
Agency and Community Roles:	The role of the LHD is to coordinate and support the leadership, planning, implementation, and evaluation components of the child care provider health conference. The LHD provides meeting space, administrative support, staff time, expertise, and limited financial support such as printing and office supplies to ensure the success of the event. Evaluations are analyzed and the results are shared with community partners during the meeting after the event. Suggestions are incorporated into the following year. SGCHD employees involved in the event are public health nurses, an environmental inspector, health educators, and our public information officer.
Costs and Expenditures:	The proposed model practice is an annual health fair conference for child care providers from a twenty-nine county area in southwest Missouri. The conference is an avenue for the child care providers to obtain immunizations, health screenings and services in addition to health and safety continuing education clock hours. The target audience is child care providers because of their challenges accessing health care during normal business hours, low pay, and few employee benefits, including health insurance. The site of the conference limits the number of attendees but usually 190-200 attend the event. The primary goal is to improve the health and productivity of child care providers in southwest Missouri, to create a positive culture that promotes wellness and fitness in child care providers, and to partner with child care providers in protecting their health, the health of children in their care, and the health of the community. Health services and screenings provided are according to Recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, (USPS) The Guide to Clinical Preventive Services 2007. This allows participants, primarily women to monitor their health status from year to year. The objectives are to provide pertinent health and safety education classes (nine different ones) and recommended health screenings (nine different ones) and services (three different ones) for a maximum of 200 child care providers on a Saturday in October every year. All abnormal screening results are an indication for a referral to a professional. The first health conference was held in 2003 after 2,800 surveys were distributed to child care providers in 29 counties. The demographics of the 1,800 responses indicated that most were 18-25 years old females, earning $5-6 per hour and who did not have health insurance. This information was shared among community partners and the planning began. Initially, the event was at no cost for the participant but now costs $5.00 per participant. The community partners identified what their organization would be able to commit to the planning and the event. The continuing education goal is met by the health and safety experts in our community that determine the class topics for each year and to present the information to adult learners. The screenings and health services are offered according to USPS Task Force recommendations which are tuberculin testing, immunizations (influenza, Tdap, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, MMR, pneumococcal), hemoglobin, vision, hearing, bone density (available off site through vouchers), mental health, body mass index, blood pressure, skin cancer screening, clinical breast exams, dental, and glucose testing. Success is due to planning together beginning June for the October event, documenting results of the evaluation from the previous year, and working as a team. Participants attend due to minimal cost, availability to participate in screenings and health services, and the opportunity to receive educational clock hours. In addition, the providers view the conference as a professional development opportunity.
Implementation:	Generally, child care providers are women, who work long hours of each day, do not have health insurance, and are paid minimum wage. These factors limit access to health care. The health fair conference offers child care providers an avenue to obtain the required TB skin test, to access preventive care health and safety education clock hours. The vaccines provided at the conference are recommended for care givers of young children by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, (ACIP). This includes seasonal influenza, Tdap, Hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps and rubella, and pneumococcal vaccine. The screenings are indicated for adult women and include blood pressure, body mass index, depression and anxiety, blood sugar, hemoglobin, vision, hearing, dental, cholesterol, skin cancer, and breast examinations. All participants with an abnormal result are referred to local healthcare providers for follow up care. The conference addresses both primary and secondary levels of prevention in public health. Community partners have built relationships throughout the years by identifying their contribution and expertise for the success of the event. Therefore, the conference addresses the following public health categories: access to care, chronic disease and immunizations.
Sustainability:
Lessons Learned:

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