Background: The Kids' Shelter Health Improvement Project (Kids-SHIP) is a program at Rush Children's Hospital's pediatric clinic which provides complete medical care and follow-up to children and youth, ages 0-21, who are living in Chicago's homeless shelters. Design: Homeless shelters refer children to Kids-SHIP's Hospital-Based Clinic where they are seen by an interdisciplinary team and receive a medical evaluation, a psychosocial assessment, and a developmental/psycho-educational screening. Patients are then followed in the pediatric resident's primary care clinic. Two outreach pediatricians were hired in 2000 to provide additional on-site medical care and/or education in shelters. One pediatrician helped parents fill out the Kids-SHIP referral form, while the other gave parents written information about Kids-SHIP. Results: 203 children have been seen in the Kids-SHIP clinic. 58% received referrals to one or more specialists; 79% had documented incomplete immunizations and were updated; 40% of school aged children were in need of mental health and/or educational services. An additional 1000 patient contacts were made by the outreach pediatricians. None of the families given written information about Kids-SHIP followed up, while 55% of families who were helped with the referral forms did. 1½ times as many children have been seen at Kids-SHIP since the addition of the outreach pediatrician. Conclusion: The combined approach of Outreach, and Hospital-Based Services is a useful, if not necessary, model when caring for homeless children. Outreach pediatricians who actively help parents complete paperwork provide a much needed service and link for follow-up. (Funded by HUD/CDHS and the John Houlsby Foundation).
Learning Objectives: Participants will learn how to maximize delivery of health care to homeless children and youth in shelters through an innovative program that uses a combined approach of Active Outreach and Hospital-Based Services.
Keywords: Access and Services, Homelessness
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.