More than 13,000 Michigan children up to 17 years old have active epilepsy and roughly 25 percent of the state’s youth reside in rural areas. Children in rural and underserved areas often have less access to pediatricians, pediatric sub-specialists, and coordinated care.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) www.michigan.gov/mdhhs received a $1.2 million grant over a three year period from HRSA’s www.hrsa.gov Maternal Child and Health Bureau http://mchb.hrsa.gov for the “Michigan Pediatric Epilepsy Project” www.epilepsymichigan.org.
The funding will enable the Michigan Children’s Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) Division within MDHHS to expand their current efforts to improve access to specialized pediatric epilepsy services.
The goal is to especially increase access to care for children and youth with epilepsy who live in rural and medically underserved areas. This will be accomplished by increasing access to healthcare through telemedicine, medical homes, education and training, transition planning, epilepsy action plans, and connecting families and youth with resources utilizing technology.
According to Nick Lyon Director of MDHHS, “By partnering with four major epilepsy centers including Beaumont Children’s www.beaumont.edu/childrens, Children’s Hospital of Michigan www.childrensdmc.org, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital www.helendevoschildrens.org, and UP Health System Marquette www.mgh.org, pediatric epilepsy patients and families will now be able to easily access specialty care to help to successfully manage their epilepsy.”