Report shows ethnic disparities in children’s health, care they
receive
Gilroy – A federal study reporting the condition of the nation’s children revealed ethnic disparities in the overall health and type of health care coverage they receive.
According to the biennial report, Hispanic children are less likely to receive the recommended immunizations or be identified as being in excellent health, and be more likely to give birth as teens and be obese.
Despite the ominous findings, Gilroy has multiple services available for children with or without health insurance.
“There are programs out there people don’t know about, that they don’t know how to apply for or that they are afraid to apply for,” said Pilar Furlong, director of development and communications of the School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County.
Gilroy’s branch is the Neighborhood Health Clinic, at South Valley Middle School, and services infants to children aged 18 with or without insurance Monday through Friday. They also have an on-site bilingual interpreter.
“We are a full service primary clinic serving … pretty much all your childhood illnesses,” Furlong said.
Another service available for local residents is the Rotacare Clinic, a mobile clinic founded by the Rotary Club that services Gilroy on Tuesdays at 385 IOOF Ave. from 6 to 8pm.
“Child health varies by family income,” the report stated. “Children living in families with incomes below the federal poverty level are less likely than children in higher income families to be in very good or excellent health.”
The findings are consistent with those of the 2005 Santa Clara County Children’s Report.
Nationwide, 79 percent of Hispanic children were immunized. However, only 63 percent of Hispanic children in Santa Clara County were found to receive the recommended immunizations compared to 80 percent of Asian and Caucasian children.
“Even though Santa Clara County children have high access to health care, other indicators of access, such as immunization rates and prenatal care, show there are disparities in how Hispanic and African American children are actually receiving care,” the report read.
Though Santa Clara County was the first county in the United States to commit to establishing health care coverage for all children through its Children Health Initiative – more than 70,000 children remain without health insurance.
Uninsured children are linked to programs such as Medi–Cal, Healthy Families and Healthy Kids through the Children’s Health Initiative.
Medi–Cal covers individuals living below or at the poverty level and Healthy Families and Healthy Kids cover children and families who earn up to 200 and 300 percent above the poverty level respectively.
“We provide free or low-cost immunizations to people with or without heath insurance,” said Teresa Chagoya, spokesperson for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
Immunizations, mental health services, domestic violence and sexual assault care available through the department can be found at free or reduced cost at the Valley Health Center in San Martin. The center provides care for individuals in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Martin, south San Jose and parts of San Benito County.
Preventative programs include services for troubled and family advocacy.
“That’s where staffed advocates go into the home to teach families appropriate child development, good hygiene and the importance of reading,” said Cecilia Clark, communications manager for Community Solutions in Morgan Hill. “The goal of the program is to prevent child abuse and neglect.”
Pregnant women may receive care under the Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program in Santa Clara County. There are prenatal and delivery services available for all low or no income women.
And for emergencies or urgent care, individuals can always visit the Santa Clara County Valley Medical Center, said public information officer, Joy Alexiou.
“They can’t just show up for a doctors appointment, but for urgent care anybody can be seen,” Alexiou explained. “Their ability to pay would be assessed after.” In some cases, the fee is waived entirely.
The important thing to remember is that regardless of an individual’s ability to pay – there are health care services available for local children
Clark explained that these services should be utilized before a child shows signs of illness.
“When people don’t have access to basic health care and are not aware of all the preventative steps they can take, then certainly things can escalate,” she said.
