| New Initiatives | ||
| The Smart Card: A Smart Way to Go for Head Start | ||
| THIS HEALTH PASSPORT FACILITATES INTERAGENCY COOPERATION, REDUCES PAPERWORK, AND GIVES FAMILIES CONTROL OVER THEIR HEALTH CARE INFORMATION. by Kenneth Akwuole |
||
| One common feature of recent Federal legislation is the emphasis on built-in flexibility that will allow State and local governments to be more creative in implementing Federally-sponsored program. Head Start has always maintained this philosophy, recognizing that local programs serve families with differing needs and under different circumstances around the country. The Head Start Bureau also promotes collaboration as a means of strengthening services to Head Start children and families. In fact, the revised Program Performance Standards call for the formation of -Family and Community Partnerships" in the delivery of those. services. Technology is playing an increasingly important role in enhancing service delivery and, as a result, the Bureau is looking to expand the use of technology in Head Start. Toward that end, the Head Start Bureau has joined in the effort by the Western Governors Association (WGA) to develop an electronic health card called the "Health Passport" (HPP). Card technology has proven to be one of the most effective management tools of the information age. In both the public and private sectors, cards are replacing cumbersome, paper-based systems for establishing eligibility, transferring information, and executing financial transactions. For example, much of the information required for patient or client enrollment, eligibility verification, and program reporting are common among government social programs. A card that carries basic demographic, financial, and immunological information will help to minimize the time it takes to obtain and verify such information. The goal of the WGA, the Head Start Bureau, and other Federal sponsors is to develop and test a dynamic, versatile, and multipurpose electronic health card that will improve information sharing and administrative efficiency among public and private health care providers and nutrition programs, while placing families firmly in control of the information on the card. For the Head Start community, the HPP project provides an opportunity for important collaboration with other service providers. The Head Start program will benefit from this project by sharing basic information and referrals with other core programs, such as WIC, EPSDT, immunizations, migrant, and Indian Health Service programs. The HPP will also lower administrative barriers to Head Start services by reducing the amount of paperwork associated with family visits. The HPP will enhance the tracking of health care outcomes by increasing the availability and. accuracy of health statistics. Health screening and measurements obtained at each Medicaid screening or other doctor's visits will be encoded in the card. The portability and security the HPP will provide makes it a viable project, especially among migrant families. Most importantly, the HPP is designed to promote personal responsibility in health care and nutrition by placing individuals firmly in control of the information on the card. HPP offers the prospect of families gaining technological control of information entry and flow, so that they are empowered to access other community services and resources to meet their specific needs.
|
||
| 7 | National Head Start Bulletin Issue No. 63 | |