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211 is an information referral line that connects callers with health
and human service resources. The call may begin with the individual just needing
help with food but through the dialogue that the call specialist has with the
individual, they uncover other needs like the children in the household are
currently uninsured.
Oftentimes when someone is looking for free or reduced healthcare we refer to
the Center for Family Health here in Jackson. When they go to the Center for
Family Health they have the ability, not only to be seen that day for any
ailments, they’re also able to be screened for any potential ongoing health coverage.
Federally qualified health centers and 211 serve as really important
stakeholders in any community. Those two institutions connect families together
and they refer back and forth to one another for really helpful services and one of
those things is children’s health insurance enrollment. So somebody walking
through the doors of a community health center can get enrolled, somebody
calling in to 211 for help can get enrolled, and we can serve those families in a
unique way that we weren’t able to do before, because of that partnership.
The internet has really revolutionized how we get people enrolled. We have an
online application for children’s health coverage and that online application
allows us to process a family through instantaneously. Technology innovations
like Google Voice and Google Maps have allowed us to better map the resources of
our community and really connect people in different ways where we can have
local phone numbers established for families to call in ways that were never possible before.
When individuals find out that there are community clinics and free or reduced
healthcare in the area they’re often surprised. They can’t believe that
something’s existing like that in their community and they were unaware.