Health:

Passport

Three Essential Partners To Ensure Coordinated Care:
 

1. Parents

  -  Are empowered to be partners with health professionals in the care of their child

  -  Bring the Passport each time their child has a health visit

  -  Take their child for routine checkups and all immunizations

  -  Learn to stimulate their child's development and keep their child safe.

2. Health Professionals

  -  Are reminded to perform and record recommended immunizations, screenings, and health education at each well-child visit

  -  Educate parents about age-appropriate development and safety issues

  -  Keep one copy of results for the child's file and forward one copy to the community coordinator

3. Community Coordinators

  -  Remind parents of health care appointments

  -  Notify the health professional if the child misses important services, such as immunizations

  -  Prepare reports for health policy planners

At the heart of the Partners project is the

Denver Child Health Passport

a parent-held health record for children from birth through age 6

  * A chart detailing when immunizations and other preventive services are due

  * Forms covering all the elements of complete and age-appropriate well-child checkups

  * Information for parents about how to stimulate their child's development and keep child safe.

To minimize paperwork, all forms are printed on self-copying paper. One copy stays in the Passport, one is placed by the health provider in the child's file, and one is sent to a community coordinator.

America is failing her children

- More than 40% of 2-year-olds are not immunized against preventable diseases.

- Each year, millions of children die or are injured in preventable accidents.

- Many young children with developmental delays are not identified. As a result they don't get early treatment that could prevent more serious disabilities.

- No comprehensive tracking system exists to ensure that these problems are prevented.

What the Partners Say

- "I like being treated like a partner by my child's doctor."

- "I like learning what my child will do next."

- " I wish I would have had a Passport for my older children."

Health Professionals say:

- "The Passport gives me a unique opportunity to teach parents and get them more involved in their child's care."

- "It provides a record of the care a child has received - no matter how often the family moves."

Community Coordinators say:

- "I like knowing that I'm part of a project that helps children get preventive care."