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MILWAUKEE (7/19/2012) - Families will ask Congress to take action to protect care for children
in the face of proposed cuts to national health care programs
What: Claire Bevec, age 11, from Kenosha, Wis., and her family, will join 30 other patients and families from children's hospitals across the country to speak with members of Congress during the Children's Hospital Association's Family Advocacy Day. They will talk about the lifesaving specialty medical care they have needed and how the current budget debate needs to include protections for these services and access to care. Click here to hear Claire tell her story.
When: July 23-25, 2012.
Why: Millions of children in the U.S. require special care at children's hospitals to address their health challenges. The budget crisis of 2011 is real and requires serious action, but changes must be made in a way that does not threaten the state of children's health care by decreasing access to care and pediatric specialists.
- Half of all hospitalized children in Wisconsin are dependent on Medicaid, which covers 1 in 3 children in the U.S.
- Sixty percent of the residents from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin training program stay in Wisconsin and join the medical community that takes care of Wisconsin's kids. Many go into primary care and join pediatric practices around the state. Several stay on to train in specialty care while others train to provide emergency services to children. Reduction in Children's Hospital of Wisconsin's ability to train residents will directly reduce the number of pediatricians in our state.
- Children already face waits of up to three months to see the physician they need; undermining Medicaid and Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education may reduce access further.
Who: The Bevec family knows firsthand the value of quality pediatric care. Claire was born 6 weeks premature with a cleft lip and palate. Three days later, she was diagnosed with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) and congenital hepatic fibrosis (CHF). By age 8, her kidneys were functioning at only 30 percent, and Claire's doctor told her family it was time to plan for a transplant. Claire's mom, Linda, sought out Dr. Ellis Avner at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, who conducts world renowned research for ARPKD/CHF. Claire received her new kidney a year and a half ago.
Where: Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., Children's Hospital Association's Family Advocacy Day.
About Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is the region's only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. The hospital, with locations in Milwaukee and Neenah, Wis., is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. Children's Hospital provides primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. In 2010, Children's Hospital invested more than $105 million in the community to improve the health status of children through medical care, advocacy, education and pediatric medical research. Children's Hospital achieves its mission in part through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations and is proud to be a Children's Miracle Network Hospital. For more information, visit the website at chw.org.
About the Children's Hospital Association
The Children's Hospital Association advances child health through innovation in the quality, cost and delivery of care. Representing more than 220 children's hospitals, the Association is the voice of children's hospitals nationally. The Association advances public policy enabling hospitals to better serve children, and is the premier resource for pediatric data and analytics driving improved clinical and operational performance of member hospitals. Formed in 2011, the Association brings together the strengths and talents of three organizations: Child Health Corporation of America (CHCA), National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) and National Association of Children's Hospitals (N.A.C.H.).
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