Health programs for kids show positive results

PROVIDENCE – The 11th annual Celebration of Children’s Health drew an array of elected officials to champion access to affordable health care for all of Rhode Island’s children.
The event, hosted by Rhode Island Kids Count, included release of results from two programs to provide health coverage to Rhode Island children, RIte Care and RIte Smiles.
These included for RIte Care, lower rates of emergency hospital admissions, improved access to primary care, healthier pregnancies and low rates of preventable hospitalizations.
For RIte Smiles, as of July 2011, there were 202 dentists in 380 locations participating, up from 27 before the program began, and 90 at the launch of the program.
Community leaders Dr. Daniel Kane, director of the Saint Joseph Hospital Pediatric Dental Center, Dr. Carol Lewis, a pediatrician at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and JoAnn Roberts, a school nurse and teacher in Westerly, joined a host of elected officials in being honored for their efforts on behalf of children. &#8226