1994 Articles

System-based Mobile Primary Pediatric Care for Homeless Children: The Anatomy of a Working Program

Redlener, Irwin E.; Redlener, Karen B.

The New York Children's Health Project (NYCHP) of the Montefiore Medical Center-Albert Einstein College of Medicine has been providing comprehensive health services to homeless and medically under served children since 1987. Fully equipped mobile child health offices have been the major mechanism for bringing pediatrician-led teams to places that are convenient for and accessible to under served children and their families. Mobile units have been used for decades in a variety of health car e settings. However, most applications have been for episodic care programs, health screening initiatives, or health education. The NYCHP is designed to provide primary health care with a focus on continuity and comprehensive services, even though the core patient population, consisting of homeless children and youth, is transiently housed in the city's shelter system.