Blue foundation for a healthy Florida grant to support UF pediatric psychological services

Families with children receiving treatment at the University of Florida Pediatric Pulmonary Center will have improved access to psychological care, thanks to a grant from The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida.

The University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions' department of clinical and health psychology today received a $99,797 grant from The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, the philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, to provide psychological services for pediatric patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis.

"The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida is proud to support the UF department of clinical and health psychology," said Susan Towler, executive director of The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida. "It is through such partnerships that we are able to work together to provide a more complete continuity of care for the uninsured and underserved in Florida's communities."

The UF Pediatric Pulmonary Center treats pediatric patients in Gainesville and at its outreach clinics in Panama City, Tallahassee and Daytona Beach. The addition of a psychologist will allow the center to provide individual and family therapy for families, with a particular focus on families who have no insurance or who have Medicaid.

"This grant gives UF the opportunity to expand our pediatric services to include a psychological element to our care," said Robert G. Frank, Ph.D., a professor and dean of the College of Public Health and Health Professions. "This generous support from The Blue Foundation enables us to treat socioemotional issues as well as the medical issues associated with asthma and cystic fibrosis."

Children with asthma or cystic fibrosis have higher incidence of psychosocial concerns, such as anxiety, depression and lower self-esteem, than do healthy children, said Christina Adams, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of clinical and health psychology and a member of the Pediatric Pulmonary Center team.

"Many parents of children with cystic fibrosis also have psychological problems which may precede or result from the stress of caring for a chronically ill child," she added.

Limited training for health-care providers and problems with access lead to many children with asthma and cystic fibrosis not receiving the psychological care they need, Adams said.

"In some rural areas, there are no community mental health centers or patients must travel extended distances to receive care," she said. "These disadvantages, coupled with the fact that psychologists outside of community mental health centers are not reimbursed by Florida Medicaid, prevent many of our patients from having access to quality psychological care."

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida awards grants during two grant cycles per year. With the completion of the 2006 winter grant cycle, The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida will have awarded 123 grants totaling nearly $6.7 million since its founding in 2001.