Whenever she has the opportunity to talk about MCH, she takes Bright Futures guidelines and hands it out as part of what she does. Ms. Gleason also makes announcements about Bright Futures on various listservers. Washington State plans to have an initiative in which Bright Futures will be promoted and materials sent to doctors in the state. However, some concerns remain amid this good news. Eligibility for a program does not guarantee enrollment in the program.
Effective outreach is critical to ensuring the health care coverage of uninsured children.
Analysis and evaluation of varying outreach methods are needed. Coverage of all eligible children is only one step. This will require educating families to seek both sick and preventive care. Increasing family knowledge, skills, and participation in health education and prevention activities will foster the vision for care as outlined in the Bright Futures guidelines. Perhaps a larger danger is losing sight of our goals.