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HomeAbout usHealth EquityHealth Equity Alt

Health Equity

At Fidelis Care, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to live a healthy life. It’s our mission to ensure New Yorkers have access to high-quality healthcare, so they can get the care they need when they need it.

But many other factors contribute to an individual’s health and wellness beyond access to healthcare. Socioeconomic conditions can influence health risks and outcomes. Poverty, food insecurity, housing instability, education, employment, access to transportation and other circumstances contribute to health disparities among underserved and vulnerable populations.

Fidelis Care is committed to removing those barriers to health to improve access, quality, and affordability. It is an ongoing process that requires working together with our members, providers, and community-based organizations to support fair and just opportunities to equal access to healthcare.

Learn more about our different approaches to improve health equity:


Key partnerships

Wellness commitment to Buffalo Urban League

To nurture social entrepreneurship, facilitate wellness, and strengthen organizations focused on Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Buffalo’s East Side, Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation donated $1.1 million to the Buffalo Urban League (BUL) to help establish its new headquarters and develop a Wellness and Entrepreneurial Center.

In addition, Fidelis Care partners with BUL through community programs and at events held in the city focused on health, family support and stabilization services, foster care, adoption, education, job training, employment, scholarships, and more.

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Mental health alliance with The Jed Foundation

As part of our behavioral health efforts, Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation awarded $1.1 million to The Jed Foundation (JED) to protect the mental health of New York State’s youth.

Through the funding, JED will expand its current services, providing at least five youth-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) with consultation or strategic planning services, including expert guidance, educational workshops, and training programs, equipping young people with life skills and connecting them to mental healthcare when they are in distress.

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More Health Equity News


Preparing for your Child’s First Eye Exam
6/20/2022 • Posted by Dr. Lisa Moreno, Pediatrician and Medical Director at Fidelis Care in Children's Health, Health and Wellness, In The Community

Mens-Health-Resources-Fidelis-Care-Health-Insurance

June is Child Vision Awareness Month. Taking care of a child’s vision is important for learning and social development. Below are some recommendations and tips for what to expect for your child’s first eye exam.

First exam and frequency of exams

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children have their eyes checked starting as newborns. After that, screenings are recommended as follows:

  • Newborns: In the newborn period, a pediatrician will do an eye exam to check for abnormalities or infection. Premature babies, babies with signs of eye disease or those babies with a family history of childhood eye disease may need further specialized exams by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) during the newborn period.
     
  • Birth to 6 months: Your child’s pediatrician will perform a physical exam of the eye to look at external structures of the eye, to check the pupils for an appropriate light reflex, and to look for a red reflex (light reflected through the pupil from the back of the eye) using a handheld device called an ophthalmoscope. This is the time to talk with your pediatrician about any family history of childhood vision problems.
     
  • 6 months and up: Your child’s pediatrician will continue to perform external eye exams and use the ophthalmoscope as detailed above. The exam will also include checking that each of your child's eyes look at and appropriately follow a toy or face.
     
  • Starting at 1 to 2 years: At this age, instrument-based screening devices may begin to be used for vision screening. These may include photoscreeners and autorefractors, computer-automated devices that use light and cameras to gauge how well your child can see.
     
  • Starting at 3 years: Visual acuity screening is recommended at ages 4 and 5 years, as well as in cooperative 3-year-olds. This involves asking your child how well they can see the details of letters or symbols from a set distance.

 

What to Expect at a Vision Screening

Vision screening may be performed in different ways depending on your child's age. Some screenings need your child's cooperation to read or match images in an age-appropriate way. Other screenings use special tools to measure the eye position, reflection of light off the back of the eye or focus of light into the eye.

Infants and children typically have vision screening performed by their primary care doctor/pediatrician. If a comprehensive eye exam is needed, your child will be referred to an ophthalmologist.

 

The Difference between a Vision Screening and a Comprehensive Eye Exam

A comprehensive eye exam is performed by an eye doctor to determine if there are clear signs of eye disease. Eye drops are applied to widen the pupils of the eyes to allow for a fuller view of the internal eye structures. Instrument-based devices may be used to examine the eye as well.

 

References