SAN DIEGO -- The country life can offer peace, quiet, and open space. But it can also leave you far from shops, amenities, and most importantly, emergency services.
That's a problem for parents of young children, who need quick access to doctors and hospitals when there's an emergency. One Project QKids program is changing that for people living in southeast San Diego County.
The
First 5 Commission of San Diego, KGTV's partner in Project QKids with KPBS -- provided the Mountain Empire Family Clinics with the money it needed to hire a pediatrician.
He provides the services that parents would otherwise have to drive an hour to receive.
"Before the First 5 funding, we really didn't have anything to offer to the new moms other than check ups and guidance," said clinic director, Cindy Lechien.
Now the clinic has Dr. Erwinn Sistoza. His duties run the gamut from fielding childhood emergencies, to providing weekly checkups for newborns.
Erica Reagan has been bringing her eight-week old son, Steven, to see Sistoza since he was one-day old. She lives just a mile from the clinic. "It's convenient. I'm out here in the community and so far I've had good health care," she said.
The convenience pays off in regular visits that allow Sistoza to better track Steven's development. Just a few weeks ago, he noticed Steven wasn't gaining enough weight. One change to his diet and Steven is doing much better.
"The visits afford a chance for the pediatrician to look at the development of a child, not just for obvious illnesses," Sistoza said.
"It affords a time for the mother to communicate whatever concerns they have with the child during this time there's a lot of questions in the mother's mind," he added.
With help from the First 5 Commission, the clinic is also making sure Campo and Jacumba children are kept safe in the car and in the home. The clinic was able to buy and give away 50 brand new car seats, 10 booster seats, and 20 playpens.
Reagan is one of the new parents who benefited from the program. "We've gotten a car seat and a play pen for Steven, and the car seat is excellent. It's Eddie Bauer edition. You know, they're good ones and we got it for free," Reagan said.
The clinic also brought in a health educator to teach parents about the dangers of lead paint and other toxins in the home. The health educator also tackles the question of second-hand smoke, and why it's harmful to children.
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