KING COUNTY, WA - Public Health - Seattle & King County, through the King County Health Action Plan, has been awarded a $1 million grant by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Community Access Program (CAP) to support Kids Get Care, which will provide preventive health services to uninsured and underinsured children.

"This grant will allow us to make significant progress in making sure everybody has access to quality and preventive health care," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "We must eliminate the gap between the haves and have-nots."

"By incorporating children early into our health care systems, we can reduce the risk of diseases and make sure that they live healthy and productive lives," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County.

Kids Get Care aims to ensure all children in King County, regardless of insurance status, receive a basic level of preventive physical, oral and developmental health care services and that they are connected to a health care "home" for the provision of continuous care.

Kids Get Care will have three hub sites in communities with high concentrations of uninsured and underinsured children. The sites are the Central Area Community Health Center, the Kent Community Health Center and the Eastside Community Health Center. The initial focus will be on children up to five years of age.

Collaboration in preventive health care

Kids Get Care is the result of a two-year effort by more than 30 collaborating organizations under the umbrella of the King County Health Action Plan. The King County Health Action Plan convenes leaders throughout the health care field to implement public-private joint ventures that integrate health promotion strategies with the current medical system.

"This grant award is a wonderful achievement resulting from great ideas and energetic collaboration among our partners," said Susan Johnson, Director, King County Health Action Plan.

Partners in Kids Get Care include the City of Seattle Mayor's Office, the Washington Health Foundation, the Washington Dental Service Foundation, Community Health Centers of King County, Harborview Medical Center, the Central Area Health Care Center, the Talaris Research Institute and the University of Washington, among others.

"I'm excited about Kids Get Care because it provides a real opportunity to truly transform the health care system," said Greg Vigdor, President of the Washington Health Foundation.

The Department of Health and Human Services initiated the Health Resources and Services Administration's CAP as part of its commitment to assist communities and their safety net providers in developing integrated health care delivery systems. The purpose of these systems is to serve the uninsured and underinsured with greater efficiency and improved quality care.

"This is a great opportunity for King County to address the real health care needs of the insured and uninsured by moving services up front without regard to insurance barriers," said Dr. Robert Crittenden, Chief of Family Medicine Service at Harborview Medical Center.

For more information about this Kids Get Care, please contact Susan Johnson, King County Health Action Plan, at 206-296-4669.