Healthy children = Better students =
Thriving South Carolina communities
A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
WHY
Healthy Learners exists for children
who are in need and without resources
•B
ecause health care needs that inhibit learning often
cannot be addressed with emergency room visits.
•B
ecause a child’s educational opportunities can be
permanently impaired because of health care needs.
•B
ecause the loss of income to a family caused by
taking one child to the doctor might deprive the entire
family of food for several days.
•B
ecause a highly efficient non-profit model is
essential to eventually creating a state public-private
system for children in need.
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
WHY
(Affordable Care Act)
•B
ecause the Affordable Care Act only applies to
adults and South Carolina elected not to accept
Medicaid expansion funding. Children and families
are still in need of assistance with the Medicaid
application process, assistance with referrals for
clinical counseling and coordination of health care.
•B
ecause the complexities of Medicaid overwhelm
many poor families.
1a
A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Healthy children.
Better students.
2
A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
WHO WE
ARE and
WHAT
WE DO
3
A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
•R
emove health barriers to
learning with love and compassion
•C
onnect children to care so poor
health is not an obstacle
• Address poverty at its root
• Help lift up future generations
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Our Services
• Assistance with Medicaid Application Process
• Assistance with referrals for Clinical Counseling
• Coordination of Health Care
• Dental Care
• Hearing Evaluations and Care
• Medications
• Transportation to Appointments
• Treatment for Medical Needs
• Vision Care
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Our History
Continuing the legacy of the Sisters of Charity of
St. Augustine by removing health barriers to education.
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Our Growing Impact
• Faith-based, non-profit
• Serving children at 148 schools in 6 counties
Midlands
(Richland & Lexington)
Dillon
d
oo
nw
ee
Gr
Dillon
(Pee Dee)
Richland
Lexington
Ge
or
ge
tow
n
Greenwood
(Upstate)
Allendale
Allendale
(Lowcounty)
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Georgetown
(Lowcounty)
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Healthy Learners
helps children
receive vital health
care services.
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Lack of access to health care
can have severe consequences
Boy’s death highlights U.S. health debate
BBC News
Lack of insurance may have figured in
17,000 children’s deaths, study shows
Johns Hopkins
Girl dies after getting sick at school without nurse
The Washington Post
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Health access is more than an
insurance or Medicaid card
•M
edicaid not always accepted for
payment
•D
ifficult for low-income parents to
miss work taking children in for care
•P
ublic transportation doesn’t serve
all physician offices
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Health Insurance Coverage of Children 0-18 in South Carolina
Employer
Medicaid
Uninsured
48%
35%
12%
H ealth
Insurance Coverage of Low Income Children 0-18
(under 200% Federal Poverty Level)
Employer
Medicaid
Uninsured
22%
56%
17%
Health Insurance Coverage of Children 0-18 Living in
Poverty (under 100% Federal Poverty Level)
Employer
Medicaid
Uninsured
NSD*
67%
18%
SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation
* No data available
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Our children’s well being today
greatly impacts everyone’s future.
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Our impact this year
• Provided 4,330 vision, dental, medication and
other health-related services to 1,380 children*
• T ransported children more
than 100,000 miles*
•C
osts for eligible health care
services, transportation and follow-up
are paid for by Healthy Learners.
•H
ealthy children are better able to learn
•S
tudents improve grades and test scores
*During most recent school year
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Return on Investment
Accomplishments
$4.38
returned
for every
$1 invested
by reducing costly
emergency room
visits
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*S
tudy published in April 2009 by the Center for
Health Care Strategies, Inc. and funded in part
by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Save parents,
hospitals and
communities
100s of 1000s
of dollars
annually
A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Making a difference
Ben Bullock
Earned a master’s degree
in social work and public
administration
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Making a difference
A young mother didn’t have to
choose between buying food or
paying for doctor visits for her sons.
“It’s hard to not get emotional when
I talk about Healthy Learners.
It’s hard to explain just how much
they mean to me and our family.”
— Rhonda, mom to William and Hunter
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
How do we sustain
the program and
our level of service?
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Sustaining Healthy Learners
Actual program costs =
Low administrative costs
83%
$749,642*
17%
administrative
program
*2013-2014 school year (less in-kind services)
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Your support is critical
Support fills the gap in funding.
Baseline
funding
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Support from
individuals,
organizations,
school nurses
and community
health care
provider groups
Service
costs
A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Sustaining Healthy Learners
Champions
for Children
Golf Tournament
IN MEMORY OF GEORGE YOUNGINER
Raises more than
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$100,000 each year
A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
We can do more
The health disparity gap
has narrowed, but the
need keeps growing.
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Program expansion
“Evaluation results for Healthy Learners are
always overwhelmingly positive across all
constituent groups. Negative feedback, if it
is fair to even call it that, more often focuses
on the need for program expansion than on
suggested program improvements.”
Source: evaluation consultant
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Your support ensures we can
remove barriers to learning for
even more children.
$300
= an audiology
evaluation and
a physician’s
assessment
$100
= a vision
exam and
a pair
of glasses
$95
= assistance
with
medication
for a child
Any amount = a difference in a child’s life
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
How to donate
• Donate at healthylearners.com
•C
all Todd Buehrig, director of development,
at 803.454.0350
•M
ail a check payable to: Healthy Learners
2749 Laurel Street, Columbia, SC 29204
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A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System
Healthy children. Better students.
Thriving South Carolina communities.
healthylearners.com