It is the mission of the department of Child Health Advocacy and Outreach (CHAO) to keep kids healthy and safe in order to build strong communities. With a staff of nearly forty employees, our programming includes public health interventions with our mobile vans coupled with community outreach in the schools and neighborhoods.
We focus on major issues facing the community with integrated campaigns in four major areas:
- Injury prevention, which includes our signature pedestrian safety program called Safety Street, seat belt awareness programming, distribution of safety equipment, playground builds, and ATV safety programming. We are also an Injury Free Coalition for Kids site.
- Asthma, which is a school-based asthma case management program executed with our mobile vans.
- Health screenings through Healthy Kids Express, which include a variety of services performed in underserved neighborhoods.
- Medical home, which is a component that we strive to integrate within all our programming, aimed at linking children and families with a primary care pediatrician.
The department has a variety of community outreach programs and health screening services. The department offers preventive education to parents and organizational partners, support the efforts of primary care providers by identifying children’s health care needs and links children with appropriate medical services.
For more information, contact Greta Todd, Director of Child Health Advocacy and Outreach at gtt1315@bjc.org.
Patient Population
Pre-school children through high school are the identified age ranges. While each specific program may have targeted goals, in general the CHAO programs are aimed at all children and families in the St. Louis metropolitan region, with a focus on improving the health and safety of children by changing behavior through interventions with measurable outcomes.
The CHAO Team
- Registered Nurses
- Dentist
- Dental Assistant
- Drivers/Technicians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Physical Therapists
- Program Coordinators
- Program Specialists
- Registered Dieticians
- Secretaries
- Social Workers
- Van Coordinator
CHAO’s Leadership Team
- Director, Child Health Advocacy and Outreach
- Manager, Healthy Kids Express
- Manager, Advocacy and Outreach
- Program Coordinators
- Van Coordinator
Continuing Education
All staff nurses are PALS Certified or in process.
Nursing Achievements
NACHRI First Place Poster presentation; March 2005.
AIM for Healthy Kids Pilot Research Study; 2004-2006
Departmental Focus
CHAO programs are aimed at all children and families in the St. Louis metropolitan region, with a focus on improving the health and safety of children by changing behavior through interventions with measureable outcomes.
Health Screens with Healthy Kids Express
- Anemia screening
- Vision screens
- Hearing screens
- Immunizations
- Lead Testing
- Physicals
- Scoliosis screens
- Case management
- Website resources for parents, school nurses and community partners
- Professional development for school nurses
- Routine health care referrals
Disease/Clinical Interventions
- Asthma case management and education
- Dental screens, services, and education
Injury Prevention
- Safety Street
- Click It Crew/Buckle Up
- Distribution of Safety Equipment (bike helmets, car seats, home safety devices)
- Playgrounds
- ATV Safety
- Injury Free Coalition for Kids
General Health and Fitness
- Head 2 Toe
- Fit ‘n Fun Adventure
- Tobacco prevention programming
- Girl Talk/Guy Talk
- Project Safety Net suicide prevention program
- Teen Pregnancy Center/New Moms program