Backpacks and School Supplies to be Distributed to Students in Arizona and Texas
PHOENIX, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Equality Health Foundation, in partnership with Mercy Care and UnitedHealthcare, is excited to host this year's Well-Child & Back to School Drive. The annual drive was created to ensure that every child starts the school year healthy and with the tools needed for academic success. This year's packing was held on July 10 at the Equality Health Foundation headquarters where volunteers filled 2,000 backpacks with school supplies and educational materials.
New backpacks filled with supplies and health and well-being resources will be distributed by pediatric primary care practices in Equality Health's network in Arizona and Texas at well-child visits in advance of the new school year. During the visits, physicians will be available to provide comprehensive well-child exams, including vision, hearing, dental and general health screenings, as well as immunizations, to ensure that children are up to date with their vaccines. Pediatric primary care practices and community partners are committed to ensuring that students and families are equipped for a healthy and successful year.
"Access to whole-person healthcare and essential school supplies are critical for children and teens to thrive," said Tomás León, Equality Health Foundation president. "Our Well-Child & Back to School Drive provides children in vulnerable communities the medical attention and resources they need to be healthy and well-prepared for the school year, setting them up for success both in and out of the classroom."
Preventative care is key to babies' and children's health. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 13 well-child visits before the age of six to conduct age-appropriate screenings and assessments, physical exams, document height, weight and BMI, and inform parent or caregiver of recommended immunizations. On average, children miss 30% to 50% of these recommended checkups. A variety of social determinants may contribute to parents' and caregivers' ability to get children to these crucial visits, including lack of transportation, inability to take time off from work, and inadequate childcare. Missing well-child visits contributes to higher rates of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and delays in diagnosing developmental disorders.
With the support of Mercy Care and UnitedHealthcare, Equality Health Foundation hosts annual well-child drives benefiting the patients of Equality Health Network pediatric primary care practices and local community residents. As families with children in K-12 are projected to spend $529 per child on back-to-school needs this year, an increase over last year's spending, the support of community sponsors helps students in low-income households start the year healthy and ready to learn.
"Last year through multiple back to school events, more than 35,000 Mercy Care members got their well-child visits to start the school year off on the right foot," said Dr. Gagan Singh, Mercy Care chief medical officer. "Collaborating with our community partners is an effective way to help Arizona families navigate social risk factors that can impact their health and wellbeing. We're proud to do our part."
The success of this event is made possible through the generous support of community partners and sponsors. Equality Health Foundation extends its gratitude to local businesses, healthcare providers and volunteers who contribute their time and resources to help prepare students for a healthy and prosperous academic year.
Equality Health Foundation, the philanthropic partner of Equality Health, is an organization dedicated to advancing health equity and improving well-being access for underserved communities. Through initiatives like the Well-Child & Back to School Drive, the foundation strives to create a healthier, more equitable future for all.
For more information on Equality Health Foundation and the Well-Child & Back to School Drive, please visit equalityhealthfoundation.org/back-to-school-drive-az/ (AZ) and equalityhealthfoundation.org/back-to-school-drive-tx/ (TX).
About Equality Health Foundation
Established in 2019, Equality Health Foundation envisions a world of vibrant and inclusive communities where all individuals have the opportunity to live healthier and longer lives. A bold vision like this cannot be accomplished alone and requires extensive collaboration across local communities around the country to level the playing field and make a sustainable and transformative change—a movement for advancing equal access to health and well-being for all. For more information about Equality Health Foundation, visit equalityhealthfoundation.org/ or follow Equality Health Foundation on Facebook, @EQHFoundation on Twitter, and Equality Health Foundation on LinkedIn.
About Equality Health
Equality Health is a technology-enabled primary care platform that leverages the proven capabilities of value-based payment models to transform healthcare for diverse and often marginalized populations. From predictive modeling to advanced care-tracking tools, utilizing Equality Health's proprietary software, participating PCPs can streamline value-based administration and stay one step ahead of a patient's journey. Equality Health's care model is Medicaid-first in design, partnering with over 3,200 PCPs and 750,000 lives across Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Virginia. Equality Health partners with practices to close care gaps, optimize performance, increase compliance, and improve profitability. Members engage with holistic and personalized programs delivered through the lens of social and cultural needs. Equality Health is revolutionizing how care is delivered through hyper-local resources at scale and establishing critical linkages with payers, providers, members, and community resources. For more information about Equality Health, visit equalityhealth.com or follow EqualityHealth on Facebook, @EqualityHealth on Twitter, and EqualityHealth on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Equality Health Foundation
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