The Children’s Healthcare Access Program (CHAP) is proving that children in our community are healthier when we reallocate resources to prevention and early intervention.

An independent evaluation of CHAP found that visits to the emergency department have decreased 14% for children receiving care with participating healthcare providers, while inpatient hospital admissions are down 12%.  The decreases are even more significant among children with the most significant needs:  35% decline in emergency department use and 62% decline in hospitalizations.  There’s a 40% increase in families who have a specific plan to manage their child’s asthma – the most common chronic disease in children and one of the leading causes of hospitalization.

The evaluation includes a cost benefit analysis conducted by a nationally-recognized economist.   It takes into account the societal benefits – such as fewer school days missed – and found that the immediate social benefits exceed the costs by 20%.  That is a conservative analysis and can be expected to increase over time, since the benefits of good health in childhood are compounded as people age.

Check out coverage of CHAP and the encouraging evaluation results:

GR Press article on 8/14/11:  How West Michigan program is improving health, reducing costs for low-income families

Great Starts Here e-magazine on 10/3/11:  Children’s Healthcare Access Program offers a lifeline

Michigan’s Children report on 8/15/11: Focus on MI Communities, Children’s Healthcare Access Program in Kent and Wayne Counties

Center for Michigan article on 8/18/11:  100,000 Michigan kids still lack health insurance

Interview on WGVU radio in Grand Rapids

Interview on WMUK radio in Kalamazoo

Guest column in the Flint Journal:  Medical homes for children can save public money and help kids stay healthy

Guest column in the Kalamazoo Gazette:  Providing kids access to health care

Guest column in the Battle Creek Enquirer:  Delivering high-quality health care to at-risk kids