PARKLAND HEALTHfirst - Parkland Community Health Plan, Inc.

WIC services include providing nutritional supplementation for pregnant women and children under age 5, as
well as nutritional education and counseling services. PCHP’s network is located with maternity, Family
Planning and WIC services at all of its Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) clinics. This enables
members to have one-stop access to a number of services which can meet many maternal and child health needs
of members. COPC providers which include doctors, nurse practitioners, doctor assistants, Social workers,
nutritionists, among others, help members with registering for and obtaining WIC services, which can be
accessed within the same facility. To learn more and to find a local WIC office near you, call 214-670-7200.
It is essential for the Texas Health Steps staff to educate members and providers alike on the importance of the
WIC program in order to ensure that both parties are aware of the positive impact that effective nutritional
supplementation can have on health outcomes for women, infants, and children. This includes making
providers and members aware of:
110
• The type and nature of WIC services available;
• The importance of WIC in maintaining maternal and child health;
• Eligibility requirements for obtaining WIC services;
• The referral process and tracking system;
• WIC providers located at COPC clinics that offer multiple services at one location convenient to the
member’s neighborhood;
• Other WIC providers who are geographically more accessible to members;
• Material given to members about the WIC program;
• Basic PCHP managed care guidelines for providers offering WIC services; and,
• Members and providers are also made aware of the WIC program and the service it provides through
the:
Member Orientation
Provider Orientation
Member Handbook
Provider Manual
WIC provider brochure.
To effectively meet the needs of women, infants, and children, PCHP will:
• Ensure that PCHP members and providers make available WIC specific medical information to WIC
programs including: height, weight, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and other risk conditions.
• Ensure that all eligible PCHP members not already participating in WIC are referred to the WIC program.
• Emphasize to providers the important role that WIC plays in community health and actively urge them to
fully participate with PCHP initiatives.
• Coordinate effective member and provider education through the PCHP Community Outreach Department.
• Screen members for WIC participation through the Community Outreach Department activities.
• Advise PCHP providers to refer every newly pregnant member to WIC at the first prenatal contact and to
check on WIC status during prenatal visits and at the time of delivery. Providers will be trained on the
provision of WIC services during their initial training process, and also receive information in the Provider
Manual.