Community Health Division
 The
Community Health Division is composed of registered nurses
with varied levels of job specific training and certifications.
They work directly with clients/families/childcare staff,
and collaborate with the health care team to promote optimal
health for individuals and families in Buncombe County.
Our goal is to provide comprehensive assessments, interventions,
and referrals to support services and health education for
our clients in the convenience of their home or a community
setting. We take care of children in Child Care sites and high-risk
prenatal clients, postpartum and newborn clients in their
home.
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Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
A registered nurse, and environmental
health staff member work together to determine the cause
of a child's elevated lead level, make recommendations
to resolve exposure to the lead source, and monitor
the child's lead level until it reaches a normal level.
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Adult Day Health Specialist
A registered nurse acts as a consultant
to adult day health programs and gives guidance
to new programs seeking certification.
Contracted Nursing Services with Head Start (Community Action Opportunity) and Early Head Start (Asheville City Pre-school)
A registered nurse completes physical assessments and
screenings and assists with medical needs of all children
enrolled in Head Start or Early Head Start Programs.
The nurse provides staff training for the care of children
with special needs, and for OSHA, CPR, and first aid
requirements, as needed.
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Child Care Health Consultant Program (Smart Start)
Registered nurses work with child care centers
and homes in Buncombe County. The nurses perform health
screenings, physical assessments, make community referrals,
and provide technical support and education to the child
care staff on issues related to health, safety, and nutrition.
Centers that are interested in improving their center
quality receive the technical assistance needed in health
and safety to raise their star rating. Maternal/Child Home Visiting
Programs
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Early Intervention Liaison Program (Smart Start)
Developmental specialists work in the community with physician practices that serve children (0 to 5 years of age), and offer support and resources for developmental screening. The developmental specialists will begin providing the Parents as Teacher curriculum in July 2008 to children 0-3 years of age and in the fall of 2008 for children 3-5 years of age. Children with identified developmental delays will be the primary target.
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High Risk Medically Indicated Prenatal Service
Registered nurses visit high risk medically indicated prenatal clients in their home to assess for
complications of pregnancy, educate on signs/symptoms
of prenatal complications to report to their physician,
and offer support services to promote a healthy pregnancy
outcome.
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Postpartum and Newborn Home Visiting Services
Registered nurses visit postpartum clients and their
newborns in their home within 60 days of delivery to
assess for complications, educate on postpartum and
newborn care, and offer support and referrals to community
resources.
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Prenatal
Loss Counseling
A registered nurse, certified in SIDS counseling,
makes a home visit to parents who have experienced
a SIDS related loss. The nurse answers questions, makes
referrals as appropriate, and provides support while
assisting the family with the grief process. Also,
registered nurses are available to make a home visit
to a woman that has recently experienced a fetal loss
and needs extra support.
Free language assistance is also available in the
Community Health Division.
To obtaininformation about any of our programs or to refer a client
to the Perinatal Home Visiting Program, please call 250-5055
Monday – Friday between 8:00am to 5:00pm.
The Community Health Division services are paid for by grants, contracts
with Department of Social Services/Early Head Start/Head
Start and the Buncombe County Health Center.
Perinatal Home Visiting Services and some nursing services provided
within the Early Head Start and Head Start Program are
billable to Medicaid, while there is no charge to the
client if they do not have Medicaid.
Connie Roberts, RN
Community Health Supervisor
(828) 250-5072
connie.roberts@buncombecounty.org
For a listing of county-wide programs & services offered by Buncombe County Government, please visit our Services section. |
