J.D. McCarty Center

PROJECT PURPOSE

Purchase and renovate a recreational vehicle into a mobile pediatric screening unit to reach children with developmental disabilities residing in qualified census tracts and other remote rural counties where pediatric services and providers are non-existent or limited. The mobile screening vehicle will have exam rooms, therapeutic evaluation/treatment stations, and teleservices capability which will enable a team of pediatric specialists: pediatrician, nurse, social worker, occupational, physical and speech, BCBA, licensed counselors, etc. to provide on-site assessments and testing focusing on identification and coordination of needed services. Ongoing services and follow-up will be provided.

EVIDENCE

Prior to Covid, J.D. McCarty Center provided mobile screening services on an extremely limited basis. The hospital collected data on families reached through our limited pilot program and we served over 10 families in 1 year who were unable to obtain services for their child with a disability due to location of residence. Numerous research exists validating that the identification and continuous provision of medical and therapeutic services for a child with a disability increases functional ability, quality of life, increases lifespan and strengthens the family dynamic.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Children with special needs and their families have greatly struggled and been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical and therapeutic services the children and families relied on to improve functional capability and, in some cases maintain current functional capabilities were reduced or eliminated due to lack of staff and length of travel distance. Many basic services required by children with special needs and challenges have not been restored to date, due to lack of providers and this is particularly true for families and their children residing in qualified census tracts. Our mobile screening program will focus on providing hands-on medical and therapeutic care to include behavioral interventions and training. We will combine our mobile screening services with our teletherapy/medical services which have been established since 1996 on an ongoing basis for children with special needs and their families.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

J.D. McCarty Center will measure project performance for this program through the hospital?s Quality Assurance Performance Improvement Program. Key performance measures that will be monitored and evaluated will include tracking the number of counties served by the mobile screening unit as well as the number of patients/families served by the program. The hospital will collect data on these performance measure on a quarterly basis, allowing for program adjustments to ensure that unserved, underserved, and qualified census tract counties in the state are identified as immediate targets for this service.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma