HAZEL HEALTH AND PASCHAL PEDIATRICS COLLABORATE TO CONNECT STUDENTS TO PRIMARY CARE

PARTNERSHIP INCREASES ACCESS TO ROUTINE HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN IN BROWARD AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTIES

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Dec 22, 2021, 07:00 ET

MIAMI, Dec. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hazel Health, the national leader in school-based telehealth, and Paschal Pediatrics, one of South Florida's oldest pediatric practices, announced a new collaboration today to ensure continuity of care for children in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties.

Hazel Health provides access to both physical and mental health services for nearly two million students in districts across the country, including Broward and other Florida districts. Through Hazel's telehealth services, students can connect directly with licensed medical professionals for on-demand care, whether at school or at home.

Beyond the telehealth visit, it is Hazel's mission to connect students to local providers when there are gaps in care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 58% of Florida children are not connected to a primary care medical home. In addition, approximately 30%-50% of U.S. primary care providers do not accept new Medicaid patients. This partnership enables Hazel's care team members to connect students who require a primary care provider, including those with public health insurance coverage, to Paschal Pediatrics.

"We are excited to expand pediatric medical services for our patients that attend Broward County Public Schools through our partnership with Hazel Health," said Fletcher Paschal IV, Operations Manager of Paschal Pediatrics. "We look forward to working together to provide excellent medical care not only for our patients, but for children in our community."

Paschal Pediatrics is a well-established Black-owned and women-operated practice with deep roots in the South Florida community. This partnership will benefit both new patients and children who are already patients of Paschal Pediatrics. Hazel and Paschal will partner to display age-appropriate, culturally competent health education materials inside of Paschal's three clinics, located in Miami, North Miami Beach, and Plantation, Florida.

"At Hazel, we believe in increasing meaningful access to health care services to meet children's needs. The power of our model is not only the on-demand visit completed at the student's school or home, but also the navigation support that our care team members provide to local clinical and community resources," said Dr. Travis Gayles, Chief Health Officer of Hazel. "We are excited to collaborate with Paschal Pediatrics to optimize transitions to the primary care setting and look forward to growing our extended care network in South Florida over time."

Hazel Health believes every child deserves to be seen, heard, and cared for. Hazel aims to address systemic inequities in pediatric care that leave millions of children across the country with little or no access to health care. By partnering with Paschal Pediatrics, both organizations will increase equity and access, build trust, and improve health outcomes for the children and families they serve.

About Hazel Health:
Hazel Health is committed to eliminating barriers to quality healthcare for all children. As the national leader in delivering pediatric telehealth care, Hazel Health partners with school districts across the U.S. and currently serves more than two million children. Hazel's team of experienced pediatricians, therapists, educators, and best-in-class engineers are passionate about ensuring all children receive the best care in school or at home. Hazel is based in San Francisco, California. For more information, please visit http://www.hazel.co.

About Rozalyn H. Paschal Pediatrics:
Rozalyn Hester Paschal MD, PA is a pediatric practice that provides medical care to children from birth through adolescence. Paschal is dedicated to providing high-quality health care to meet the diverse needs of our community. Through the allocation of appropriate services, Paschal is committed to improving the community's health status by providing a full spectrum of services. In 1977, Dr. Rozalyn H. Paschal joined the practice of Dr. Dazelle Simpson, the first board-certified black pediatrician in Florida, who began the practice in 1953. In 1995, Dr. Paschal purchased the practice upon Dr. Simpson's retirement, and owned it until her passing in 2017. As a family-run practice, her daughter Dr. Rozalyn Paschal-Thomas, son Fletcher Paschal IV and husband Fletcher Paschal III continue the legacy of providing excellent medical care that both Dr. Simpson and Dr. Paschal provided for over 60 years. The practice provides multilingual care to accommodate the diverse patient population served.

SOURCE Hazel Health