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Referring Patients to County of Santa Clara Public Health Department Programs
from Q3/Q4 Bulletin: Partners in Health - Focus on Santa Clara County Public Health Department
by SCCMA
One of the best ways that physicians and other healthcare providers can be of service to their patients is by referring them to places that can provide them with additional help, resources, and care.
The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department (SCCPHD) has about 40 programs designed to serve the needs of residents and communities within the County. While some are specific to certain diseases or medical conditions, others are focused on racial health equity, like the County’s Juntos Initiative, which encourages physical activity in park settings with a prescription from a healthcare provider. The goal of the initiative is for families to explore parks in the County of Santa Clara, participate in park hikes, and become familiar and comfortable in park settings.
“Going out and being active in nature as a community has been such a powerful health intervention for my patients and their families,” says Dr. Laurie Bostick Cammon. “These outings have helped improve the mental and physical health of these families in ways I never could have imagined before starting this partnership.”
Referrals for Families
The Maternal, Child & Family Health Branch provides care and services across the lifespan, including during pregnancy, to infants, children, and teens, and to adults and seniors. Public Health nurses follow clients who are experiencing highrisk pregnancies. They also coordinate care for infants with complicated health needs, such as being born prematurely, with congenital anomalies or perinatal substance abuse. Children who have safety or neglect concerns, and high-risk children and youth can also be referred for case management services.
Below are just some of the Maternal, Child & Family programs that providers can refer their patients to:
• Black Infant Health: Black Infant Health provides education emphasizing the importance of early and continuous prenatal care, well-child check-ups, breastfeeding, and timely and complete immunizations to ensure babies are born healthy and grow into healthy children. Eligible participants are pregnant or post-partum Black women or fathers with a child under six months of age. Providers can refer eligible patients to www.sccbih.org. • Pregnancy and Parenting: The Pregnancy and Parenting Referral Line promotes healthy living for mothers and their families via resources and referrals for reproductive health, family planning, pregnancy, birth defects, infants, children, and teens. Santa Clara County residents are eligible, and providers can refer them by calling 1 (800) 310-2332 • Women, Infants and Children: The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program provides food and breastfeeding support to low-income families with young children. Eligible patients are pregnant people or new parents who have had a child (or pregnancy loss) in the past six months, as well as parents and caregivers of children under 5. Providers wishing to make a referral can have their patients call WIC at (408)-792-5101 or text (888)-413-2698. • California Children’s Services: The Department’s California Children’s Services (CCS) program provides statemandated medical, physical, and occupational therapy and coordinating support to low-income families whose children have chronic or debilitating medical conditions. The medical staff at CCS can authorize diagnostic, treatment, and case management services for the patient. Santa Clara County is also an independent county for CCS, meaning they are able to make more requests for care decisions in their own facility without relying on the State for review and determination. Providers can fill out a form at https://publichealthproviders. sccgov.org/programs/california-childrens-services-ccs or call (408) 793-6200. • Public Health Nurse Home Visiting: Many of the above programs include the option for Public Health Nurses to visit a patient in their home. If you feel like your patient would benefit from these visits, but you aren’t sure which program would fit them best, a good place to start is to contact the Referral Center at (408) 494-1500 or phnreferrals@phd.sccgov. org. Referrals are handled by a referral coordinator who is a nurse. The referral coordinator will provide information and connect you or your patients to appropriate programs and services offered by SCCPHD.
Referrals Specific to Disease or Infections
One of the most common referral needs is for tuberculosis (TB). The Tuberculosis Prevention and Control program investigates and supports follow up of any patient suspected of having TB. Providers can refer to the TB program by calling (408) 792-1381. Please note that this is a different number from the one providers must call to report TB.
For more detailed information about SCCPHD’s many referral programs, go to www.publichealthproviders.sccgov.org. There, providers will find resources on reporting requirements, diseases and programs, and links for making referrals to specific programs. If there is a question about the outcome of a referral, the provider can always contact the program for an update.
When to Refer Patients
If there are any questions about when the appropriate time is to refer a patient, providers are encouraged to call sooner rather than later. For providers within the County’s Valley Health System, SCCPHD can accept public health nursing referrals through their electronic health record, HealthLink, as well as ongoing communications.
What Information to Provide (at a minimum) 1. Provide the name and contact number of the client 2. The particular concern that the provider has, and 3. The best way to contact the provider.
Referral coordinators may reach out to the provider to get more information about the client’s needs so they can best connect them to appropriate programs and services. The faster providers can return calls and emails, the faster their patients can be referred to and access appropriate services. Public Health programs are available to Santa Clara County residents. Before making a referral, providers should confirm that the patient’s address is within the County.
If a provider is unsure of what program their patient is eligible for, it is best to include as many details as possible in the communication and the program will review the information and select the program which best meets their needs. It is a case-by-case scenario and sometimes there might be a waitlist for specific services, depending on the capacity of the team. However, no one is refused services. If an individual doesn’t meet certain eligibility criteria, referrals to other programs or resources within Santa Clara County are provided.
Just a few examples of SCCPHD programs and how to refer patients Source: County of Santa Clara Public Health Department, publichealthproviders. sccgov.org
