El Dorado County was the recipient of two awards for its involvement in an innovative regional health access program called Healthy Kids, Healthy Future.

El Dorado County was recently recognized, along with Colusa, Placer, Sacramento and Yuba Counties, for its collaborative work in finding comprehensive and affordable health coverage for children in the region. The Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Regional Health Initiative was the winner of a 2007 Challenge Award from the California State Association of Counties, and the 2007 Regional Impact Award from the American Leadership Forum.

The Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Regional Health Initiative is the first and only nonprofit regional children's health initiative in California. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that children have health coverage. 

As a partner in Healthy Kids, Healthy Future, El Dorado County has been working hard to assist families with low to moderate incomes in obtaining health coverage. Over the past three years, the El Dorado County Public Health Department, in partnership with First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission and other local and regional agencies, has formed a local Children's Health Initiative that has helped more than 3,000 previously uninsured kids in El Dorado get enrolled into insurance programs.

According to Gayle Erbe-Hamlin, director for the Public Health Department, the majority of low-income children were enrolled into publicly funded programs such as Healthy Families or Medi-Cal. However, if a child in need did not qualify for Healthy Families or Medi-Cal, the family was assessed to see if they qualified for a regional insurance product offered through the Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Initiative. Families who qualified for Healthy Kids insurance were required to pay a monthly premium, but the cost was less than if they were to obtain insurance privately.

"Healthy Kids has really been a win-win for everyone," said Erbe-Hamlin. "By working as a region, we were able to strategically look at the best ways to reach uninsured families and help them obtain needed health insurance coverage for their children. We are very proud of the progress our county has made in working collaboratively with our regional partners and local doctors to not only help children get health coverage, but also better navigate the health care system and find long term medical homes." 

In addition to the Public Health Department, key partners in El Dorado County involved in Healthy Kids and the local Children's Health Initiative are County Supervisor Helen Baumann and the Director of the local First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission, Steve Thaxton. 

For additional information about the Healthy Kids, Healthy Future Regional Initiative, or for assistance with children's health insurance enrollment, call the Public Health Department at (800) 388-8690 or (530) 621-6143.