Abstract of D. Ervin Lecture

CREATING CUSTOMIZED PRIMARY HEALTHCARE TO ADULTS
WITH INTELLECTUAL/ DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

D. Ervin1, L. Rubin2, D. Pump3

1 The Resource Exchange, Inc., USA; 2 Institute for the Study of Disadvantage

and Disability, USA; 3 Peak Vista Community Health Centers, USA

Health disparities experienced by people with intellectual and

developmental disabilities (I/DD) are well documented. Over the

second half of the 20th Century, increased attention has been paid to

improving the delivery of care for children and adults with

developmental disabilities. In 2007, The Resource Exchange (TRE), a

community based organization coordinating a continuum of services to

individuals with I/DD throughout El Paso, Park, and Teller counties in

Colorado, conceptualized a healthcare model that would provide

primary healthcare, health promotion and wellness, as well as

caregiver education and support, all customized for people with I/DD

and their families and caregivers. Over the ensuing three years, TRE

has convened major healthcare providers and institutions throughout

El Paso County, including Peak Vista Community Health Centers, the

region’s Federally Qualified Health Center; HealthSouth Rehabilitation

Hospital of Colorado Springs; Memorial Health System and Penrose-

St. Frances Health Services, Colorado Springs’ two major hospitals;

Beth El College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of

Colorado at Colorado Springs; and, the El Paso County Medical

Society, among others, and has established formal partnerships with

each to create Developmental Disabilities Health Center (DDHC). Also

included in the treatment milieu is integrated behavioral health and

care coordination, providing exceptional, community-based healthcare

that is designed to meet the specific needs of individuals with I/DD. A

largely unprecedented system of integrated healthcare for adults with

I/DD in the US, such a model improves health outcomes and provides

a replicable healthcare delivery model.