Abstract of D. Ervin Lecture

CREATING CUSTOMIZED PRIMARY HEALTHCARE TO ADULTS
WITH INTELLECTUAL/ DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES


D. Ervin1, L. Rubin2, D. Pump3
The Resource Exchange, Inc., USAInstitute for the Study of Disadvantage
and Disability, USAPeak Vista Community Health CentersUSA


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.

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