{"id":26057,"date":"2019-11-13T22:38:18","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T22:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/ftf\/?post_type=family-stories&p=26057"},"modified":"2021-08-04T22:40:16","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T22:40:16","slug":"early-childhood-optimum-health-program-in-douglas-helps-infant-and-toddler-receive-specialized-medical-services","status":"publish","type":"family-stories","link":"https:\/\/www.ftf-stg.magnetry.com\/es\/region-stories\/early-childhood-optimum-health-program-in-douglas-helps-infant-and-toddler-receive-specialized-medical-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Early Childhood Optimum Health program in Douglas helps infant and toddler receive specialized medical services"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Crystal Ray took her 2-year-old daughter, Kaylee, and 6-month-old son, Alexander, for a milestone pediatric check-up, she got overwhelmed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander needed to see a dermatologist and nutritionist, and Kaylee, \u201cwho has dealt with developmental delays since birth, needed behavioral, speech and physical therapy specialist appointments for a checkup. She also needed appointments for audiology and neurology to check out a balance problem,\u201d said Ray, who lives in Lower Huachuca City. <\/span><\/p>\n

In Cochise County, miles of empty countryside are between towns. Specialists are not easy to find. Ray also had another challenge. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a single mother of five children, and I\u2019m deaf,\u201d she said. \u201cUsing Sprint relay services on my cell phone where an operator will type out the conversation from the caller so I can read it is awesome, and I love it. It is also a pain when doing business calls, because it can take much longer than a regular call. I don\u2019t have much quiet time as my eyes need to be on my children.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Then she met Enrique Martinez, who works as a case management nurse with Early Childhood Optimum Health (ECOH), a medical home care coordination program funded by the First Things First Cochise<\/a> Regional Partnership Council in Douglas. <\/span><\/p>\n

Martinez and other ECOH nurses offer families support at a clinic and mobile clinic for \u201cchildren who are medically complex, developmentally delayed or who come from low-income families,\u201d said Dr. Darlene Melk, Chiricahua director of Community Pediatrics and medical director of Southern Arizona Children\u2019s Health Project, which includes the ECOH program.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ECOH case managers work directly with families in finding and coordinating medical appointments with specialists and assisting with transportation. They also go over a medical care plan with families and connect them with resources such as nutrition support, early education classes and Quality First<\/a> care centers. The nurses are also available by cell phone to answer families\u2019 questions, such as investigating insurance denials or financial options, along with helping with the child\u2019s individualized care plans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quality First<\/p>\n

Research shows that quality child care and preschool programs help children learn and develop important skills and abilities \u2014 like self-control, focus and self-esteem \u2014 that prepare them for success in school and in life.<\/p>\n

Learn more about Quality First<\/p>\n

\u201cSince my younger children needed specialist appointments, getting help with making the appointments, communicating between doctor and specialist offices, and help with transportation\u2014all of these were attractive features of the program,\u201d said Ray. <\/span><\/p>\n

Martinez researched and linked her to specialists who could help. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been scheduling appointments for her and dealing with referrals,\u201d said Martinez. \u201cI let the doctors know at the visit they\u2019ll need an interpreter for Crystal.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Since that time, Ray\u2019s children are getting the medical care they need to grow up healthy. \u201cThis program has helped me and my children greatly,\u201d said Ray. \u201cMy caseworker, Enrique, is always on top of anything needed between the doctor and any specialist office.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander and Kaylee are on their way to better health, so they can be prepared to start kindergarten ready to succeed.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The FTF Cochise Region funds medical home care coordination, where case managers work with families to review care plans and manage medical appointments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":25863,"template":"","tags":[182,297,298],"class_list":["post-26057","family-stories","type-family-stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cochise","tag-health","tag-well-child-pediatric-visits-and-care-coordination","regions-cochise","ftf_program_types-well-child-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEarly Childhood Optimum Health program in Douglas helps infant and toddler receive specialized medical services - First Things First<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The FTF Cochise Region funds medical home care coordination, where case managers work with families to review care plans and manage medical appointments.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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