Adult & Child Health Welcomes New Doctors to Indianapolis Clinic
Adult & Child Health (A&C) is pleased to announce two new physicians joining the Garfield Park clinic. Dr. Joe Banks and Dr. Joanna Chambers are the newest physicians to join the growing clinic and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization. They are the newest additions to the Garfield Park clinic located at 234E. Southern Ave., Indianapolis. As A&C continues to keep pace with the demand for primary care, Dr. Banks’ addition to the healthcare team is welcomed. “Dr. Banks brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of our patients’ needs. I am very excited to welcome him to the team,” said Jeremy Tuterow, Practice Manager at Garfield Park. “He provides top-notch primary care services with a strong passion for providing community-based care focused on social determinant factors to bring the best outcomes possible for our patients.” Dr. Joe Banks is a primary care physician with his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Nova Southeastern University College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Jamaica Queens, New York City. He brings significant family medicine and primary care experience, working to treat Hoosiers across the state since 2008. Dr. Banks joined Adult & Child Health in at the end of 2021 and is currently accepting new patients. Additionally, A&C welcomes a new psychiatrist to the healthcare team. Dr. Joanna Chambers is a psychiatrist who began seeing Adult & Child Health patients in November. She graduated from Medical College of Georgia with her Doctorate of Medicine in 1996 and completed her residency in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. In addition to bringing a wealth of experience, she currently serves as an associate professor at Indiana University School of Medicine where she teaches Clinical Psychiatry. She is certified in Addiction Medicine and has a special interest in treating pregnant and postpartum women. She is President of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry Organization as well as a sitting member of many medical association boards. Recently, she has won the Residents’ Award for Teaching Excellence in 2020 from Indiana University and has received “Best Doctors Award” in 2010, 2011, and 2014. Incredibly active in the medical, academic, and research realms of medicine, we are happy to welcome her. Dr. Chambers is currently accepting new patients on Wednesdays. “We are very excited to welcome Dr. Chambers,” said Dr. Christine Negendank, Chief Medical Officer. “Her knowledge and strong reputation for quality care makes her a great addition to the Adult & Child Health team. As an active member of the medical community, we’re looking forward to the impact her care has on the surrounding neighborhoods and our patients who are seeking compassionate, empathetic care.” Both Dr. Banks and Dr. Chambers are accepting new patients. Appointments can be scheduled by calling the Adult & Child Health scheduling center at 1-877-822-5122. Adult & Child Health is an accredited nonprofit primary care, behavioral health, and social services provider with multiple locations in central Indiana. We strive for caring communities, where every child, adult and family have the opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. For more information about Adult & Child Health programs, please contact Tina Serrano, Director of Strategic Initiatives, at 317-882-5122.
Adult & Child Health Receives Federal Funding to Expand and Optimize Telehealth Technology
Adult & Child Health (A&C) was awarded grant funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for healthcare technology to improve efficiency and access to care. Announced in early November, the FCC awarded Adult and Child Health and 74 other healthcare organizations grants through its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. As a part of the CARES Act, the COVID-19 program supports the efforts of health care providers to continue serving their patients by providing reimbursement for telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices necessary to enable telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adult & Child Health was awarded $516,208 for laptops, tablets, Wi-Fi hot spots, a telehealth platform, and remote patient monitoring devices such as glucometers, otoscopes, stethoscopes, and blood pressure monitors. This allows providers to treat patients remotely and directly in the community from homeless shelters to schools – and to support treatment not only for COVID-19, but also for health care conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic respiratory issues, among others. As a Federally Qualified Health Center Look Alike program, Adult and Child Health’s four family medicine clinics have been providing telehealth services since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Expansion of telehealth services funded by the FCC grant coincides with and complements a larger healthcare technology initiative as A&C moves to a new medical records system. In December 2021, A&C will switch to a new electronic medical record system (EMR), NextGen. The implementation of this industry leading EMR will lead to improved customer services, access, efficiency, and improved health outcomes. Working within NextGen, A&C providers will have access to a telehealth platform fully integrated within the patient medical records or seamless workflows and ease of use for both patients and staff. “We are very excited about this program. There is a lot of reach within this technology project. We’ll be able to better equip our patients to monitor their chronic conditions from home, our staff to provide high quality remote care. We’re also able to better support our community partners in homeless engagement projects and school-based telehealth services for parents,” said Kerri Lewis, Chief Information Officer at Adult & Child Health. “It’s very exciting because ultimately it improves the health of the patients who have serious chronic health conditions and need additional monitoring.” Adult & Child Health will utilize FCC grant funding to purchase new end user hardware, medical testing devices, waiting room kiosks, and remote monitoring technology. The NextGen EMR, with integrated telehealth capability, is scheduled to be implemented in early December and remote patient monitoring will be available for rollout in early 2022. Adult & Child Health is an accredited nonprofit primary care, behavioral health, and social services provider with multiple locations in central Indiana. We strive for caring communities, where every child, adult and family have the opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. For more information about Adult & Child Health programs, please contact Tina Serrano, Director of Strategic Initiatives, at 317-882-5122.
Adult & Child Health Receives Kendrick Foundation Grant to Support Morgan County School Mental Health
Adult & Child Health (A&C) was awarded grant funding from the Kendrick Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization that supports education and initiatives that improve the health and well-being of Morgan County residents. A&C was one of two nonprofit agencies awarded through the Kendrick Foundation’s $540,000 initiative to provide mental health services, supports, and resources to students in Morgan County schools during the current academic year. This grant is part of a three-year commitment from the Kendrick Foundation to strengthen school-based and school-linked mental health services for Morgan County school-age youth. A&C currently provides behavioral health services to over 130 schools in Central Indiana. Since 2013, A&C has partnered with Morgan County public schools to reduce at-risk behaviors through prevention and intervention programs. Funding from the Kendrick Foundation will support additional mental health services at Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation, Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, and Monroe-Gregg School District. Students will be invited to participate in voluntary supportive services consisting of individual counseling, family therapy, and case management. “We are incredibly excited to improve access to our services across Morgan County over the next 3 years. I am thankful to have the opportunity to partner with the Kendrick Foundation and offer expanded services to students in each district,” said Elizabeth Stirn, MSW, LCSW, Assistant Director of School-Based Services at A&C. “This initiative is a true testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion that our school leaders, teachers, and providers have put into serving school-age youth and families.” A&C’s school-based mental health program is a voluntary service approved through caregiver consent and delivered by mental health professionals. The program will help students by placing staff in schools who are trained to support and assist students experiencing behavioral and mental health issues, delayed development, and/or other life stressors that interfere with their ability to learn. Schools are a natural setting to promote youth mental health and increase access to family-centered resources. Early treatment for mental health can be effective and result in helping young people stay in school and on track to achieving their life goals. Untreated or inadequately treated mental illness can affect academic achievement and lead to higher rates of school dropout, unemployment, substance use, arrest, incarceration, and early death. The partnership between A&C, Kendrick Foundation, and Morgan County schools will facilitate access to needed services, reduce barriers, and increase positive outcomes for students and families. “When we invest in children’s mental health to make sure they can get the right care at the right time, we improve the lives of children, youth, and families — and our communities,” said Keylee Wright, M.A., Kendrick Foundation Executive Director. “As a result of this initiative, Morgan County residents will have greater access to mental health practitioners and services regardless of their ability to pay.” Adult & Child is an accredited nonprofit primary care, behavioral health, and social services provider with multiple locations in Central Indiana. We strive for caring communities, where every child, adult, and family have opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. For more information about Adult & Child Health programs, please contact Tina Serrano, Director of Strategic Initiatives, at 317-882-5122.
Adult & Child Health and Perry Township Schools Partner to Aid Student Learning
Adult & Child Health and Perry Township Schools are proud recipients of Indiana’s Student Learning Recovery Grant Program to help accelerate student learning. They were awarded $5.3 million of $122 million in state grant funds awarded to 110 schools and community partners by Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). The Student Learning Recovery Program provides grants to schools and partners to support K-12 students who have fallen behind academically due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges. As Perry Township Schools educators help bridge learning gaps in math, literacy, and college/career readiness that may have occurred during remote learning, Adult & Child will use evidence-based programming to help teachers and staff address the stressors or traumas that students may be navigating. Adult & Child delivers life-enhancing physical, social, and behavioral healthcare services so families can live happy and healthy lives. When behavioral health concerns, delayed development issues, or other life stressors interfere with a child’s ability to learn, Adult and & Child specialists intervene to get students back on track. “With the expertise of Adult & Child, along with our school social workers, we can meet the social-emotional needs of our students more effectively,” said Vickie Carpenter, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools. “The pandemic has caused many of our students to feel isolated since they’ve had less interaction with their peers. Extra support from Adult & Child will help our kids with social-emotional learning and relationship building, which are critical components of achieving academic success.” “Community partners and educators are teaming up like never before to accelerate student learning this summer and in the years ahead,” Gov. Holcomb said. “We know that igniting student learning demands unprecedented collaboration from us all — educators, local leaders, community groups, parents and, beyond. As these programs launch now and over the coming weeks, it’s an exciting time to be in an Indiana classroom.” With grant funding, Adult & Child will provide SEL Specialists will provide individual and group support to students based on their academic and social/emotional needs. In addition, the SEL Specialists will work with families to provide a comprehensive level of support. Our SEL Specialist will also train teachers and staff in understanding trauma and its effects on student learning. This training will equip educators to support students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs in school and at home. Social-emotional wellness can remove barriers to education, decrease tardiness and absenteeism, and improve classroom behaviors. “Social-emotional health is crucial, in general,” said Tara Elsner, Adult and Child Director of School-Based Services. “But as we examine how the pandemic has impacted the mental health of children, it is essential for all of us to look beyond grades and address signs of anxiety, depression, or trauma-related conditions.”
