Child
Health Access Project
A Project of the Gift of Life Foundation
Every baby born deserves a healthy start in life
 In 1988, a group of community leaders mobilized to
organize The Gift of Life Foundation to improve access to prenatal care
in our community.
In 1992, Success by Six, a community
coalition, created a Health Care Task Force to look into the health care
needs of children under the age of six.
In 1994, The Gift of Life Foundation and Success by Six
joined together with other community groups to plan a project to help
children access health care.
In 1995, the Child Health Access Project was implemented
by The Gift of Life Foundation to assist hundreds of young children in
the Montgomery, Alabama area who do not receive the comprehensive,
consistent health care they need.
 By
2001, the Child Health Access Project served babies delivered at 2 area
hospitals using 13 Montgomery area pediatricians and nurse
practitioners.
In 2008, the outreach extended to Jackson Hospital. The Child Health
Access Project now encompasses all Montgomery area hospitals.
The Child Health Project is designed to provide a system
of tracking and care coordination for babies beginning at birth to
educate families about their babies' health care needs, help them get their
babies to their chosen health care provider on schedule, and support
them as they address family issues that affect the health of the baby.
The Child Health Care Project will also provide support
to those physicians who decide to help address this community need by
accepting low-income newborns into their regular private practice for
comprehensive pediatric care or referral for special health care needs.
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Almost 1/3 of the children under five in Montgomery
live in poverty.
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Many of these low-income children do not receive all
of their scheduled well-child check ups and immunizations.
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Area emergency rooms are often called to treat
serious illness which could have been prevented or to handle minor
problems that should be managed routinely during physician office
hours.
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Many times, no health care provider has a complete
medical history on the child and referrals to specialized care are
difficult.
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| Volunteer Directors |
A. Z. Holloway, MD
J. Robert Beshear, MD
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Participating Providers |
- Lister Hill Health Center
- Adolescent & Pediatric Associates
- All About Kids
- Montgomery Primary Health Care
- Physicians to Children
- Chisholm Family Health Center
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Funding
The Child Health Access Project is supported by funds provided by the
River Region United Way.
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