Oct 15, 2009
For Immediate Release
Contact: Christina Brodsly
(303) 689-0704 (office)
(832) 671-5187 (cell)
cbrodsly@vladimirjones.com
Wendi Dammann
(303) 267-9170 (office)
WendiDammann@centura.org
DENVER (Oct. 15, 2009) – Pueblo StepUp, a Centura Health community service organization, and Colorado Association for School-Based Health Care (CASBHC) have received nearly $500,000 in grant dollars dedicated to improving the quality of health care for children in Colorado.
Core Facts:
- The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 allocated Federal funding targeted at reaching out to children who are uninsured but eligible for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) health care options.
- Phase one of the grant was awarded on September 30, 2009 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, releasing $40 million in stimulus funds to 49 individual organizations or States and 20 groups with syndicate entities working together.
- CASBHC partnered with Pueblo StepUp to apply for the grant that will find and enroll children in Colorado’s Medicaid and CHIP programs through five school-based health centers located strategically across the State. The five designated school-based health centers are supported by Greeley-Evans, Adams County 14, Durango 9R, Montrose County and Harrison Two school districts.
- For the past two years, Centura Health’s Pueblo StepUp has been developing best practices for enrollment of eligible uninsured children in Pueblo City Schools. Pueblo StepUp identifies eligible but non-enrolled (EBNE) children by comparing free and reduced lunch rosters with student information voluntarily provided by parents. Armed with the names of EBNE students, StepUp contacts the parents to begin the enrollment process into Medicaid or CHIP. It is these best practices that Pueblo StepUp will be implementing in the five additional Colorado school districts.
- CHIPRA grants were awarded to recipients whose outreach, enrollment and retention efforts target geographic areas with high rates of eligible but uninsured children, particularly those in racial and ethnic minority groups who are uninsured at higher-than-average rates.
- Grantees are required to show an increase in enrollments and retention of children already in the programs, which will be used to evaluate the success of these projects.
Quotes:
- “With millions of Americans either out of work or otherwise struggling to make ends meet during this recession, there is an even greater urgency to bring steady, reliable health care to children in these families who may have lost their coverage,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
- “There has never been a more important time to give all that we can for the future of our children and their quality of life,” said Cindy Lau, executive director at Pueblo StepUp. “In challenging times like these, so many families in Colorado need the proper guidance to get the best possible health care available for their children. We’re here to help.”
- “Parents of eligible children are often unaware of the low - or no-cost health insurance options to help keep their kids strong, healthy and in school,” said Lau. “It’s our job to find these families and get their kids the health care coverage they need.”
As part of the Centura Health network, Pueblo StepUp is committed to bringing quality and affordable primary care to communities across the state by sharing best practices and system-wide resources. For more information about Pueblo StepUp, visit www.pueblostepup.com.
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About Pueblo StepUp
A nonprofit entity of Centura Health, Pueblo StepUp is dedicated to improving the strength and well-being of Pueblo County’s low-income populations. Pueblo StepUp serves the community at large by developing best practices and connecting health care access to more underserved families in Pueblo than any other organization. For information on Pueblo StepUp, please visit www.pueblostepup.com.
About Centura Health
Centura Health is Colorado’s largest hospital and health care network and we are charting the course for the future of health care. Approximately 13,000 of the health care industry’s best and brightest deliver advanced care to more than half a million people each year, across 12 hospitals, seven senior living communities, medical clinics, Flight For Life® and home care and hospice services. Our strength lies in our ability to offer a team of connected networks and shared resources to deliver accessible, reliable and cost-effective health care across the state. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit www.centura.org.
