Child Health Services had its beginning as a non-profit agency in 1980 under the leadership of its founder, Selma Deitch, MD, MPH. As a pediatrician who had served as the state's Maternal and Child Health Director, Dr. Deitch recognized that a child's health was influenced by more than good medical care alone and that in order for a child from a low income family to grow up and function successfully in school, the community, and later in life, much more than a physical exam needed to be addressed.
At a time when the country was working to establish well-child clinics as a place for children to be assured health care, Dr. Deitch was leading the development of a comprehensive set of services for low income children in a medical home model. This model was unique at the time of its development and is still unique today.
Originally serving 150 patients, today the Pediatric Clinic is a medical home for nearly 1,700 children & Adolescents; the Teen Health Clinic serves over 600 area youth; and the Special Medical Programs care for an additional 3,000 complex medical cases throughout the southern half of New Hampshire.
Dr. Deitch's influence on primary care, pediatric & adolescent services, and the health and well-being of children of all is significant. Her passion for improving the lives and prospect for children - particularly those living in poverty- continues with the agency's staff, volunteers, and supporters today.
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