Healthy steps

Clinic 2

Healthy Steps for Young Children (Healthy Steps) is a national initiative that focuses on the importance of the first three years of life. Healthy Steps emphasizes a close relationship between health care professionals and parents in addressing the physical, emotional, and intellectual growth and development of children from birth to age three.

Each Healthy Steps team includes a Healthy Steps Specialist, who enhances the information and services available to parents. The Specialists have additional training in child development and address major behavioral and developmental issues, focusing on the whole baby.

Activities include helping physicians perform and interpret developmental screening tests and referring for additional evaluation through Early Intervention when necessary; assisting with management of abnormal postpartum depression screening results and providing referrals to related services when needed; and managing our clinic's Reach Out and Read program, which provides free books during health maintenance visits to at-risk children between ages 6 months to 5 years of age.

Our Healthy Steps Specialist is also a Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC), and has a large role in providing lactation support and guidance to parents of newborns and infants embedded in their clinic visits.  This is a big asset to our clinic and a helpful on site, on demand resource for families!