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El Jardin Pediatrics - Houston, TX |
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Program Description
El Jardin Pediatrics at the Ben Taub Children's Center is a bilingual medical home for general pediatric patients located inside the main public hospital in Harris County Texas. El Jardin Pediatrics opened in June of 2004 as a pilot for a medical home model (including 24 hour coverage by dedicated physicians and nurses) for pediatrics within the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD) system. We recruit our patients primarily from Ben Taub's newborn nurseries. As a result, most of our patients are currently under three years of age. We perform all aspects of outpatient pediatrics including well child and sick exams. Although Ben Taub Hospital is a teaching hospital affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, there are currently no learners in El Jardin. We work closely with the Resident's Continuity Clinic also housed at the Ben Taub Children's Center. Currently there are two bilingual pediatricians providing medical services in El Jardin. |
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| Training Day |
| The Oral Health Grant began with a wonderful and practical lecture on caries prevention by Dr Rosie Roldan. The lecture was followed by a fluoride varnish application training, where the nurses and doctors learned to apply the varnish on children. The next morning, we had a strategic planning meeting for implementing fluoride varnish into our practice, and Dr Roldan gave grand rounds to Baylor Pediatrics on common oral lesions. After grand rounds, Wendy Nelson and Rosie Roldan visited our practice and continued to apprentice nurses on fluoride varnish application. The program was a large success and our knowledge of oral health increased tremendously. |
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| Next Steps |
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1. |
We are currently applying fluoride to all children of the ages 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, 36 months at their well-child checks. There is no charge for the fluoride. |
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2. |
We are developing educational materials for parents on obtaining a dentist for their children and on the importance of caries prevention. |
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3. |
We are distributing toothbrushes to children at their well child exam and educating parents about caries prevention. |
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4. |
We are considering purchasing children's books in Spanish and English about visiting the dentist. |
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5. |
We are investigating billing Medicaid for fluoride varnish in order to establish a need for varnish reimbursement in Texas. |
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