Dr. Ed Ivancic Leads Tupelo Chapter of Community Access to Child Health
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The passion of Dr. Ed Ivancic to help treat sick children from low-income families has earned him national recognition.
Ivancic is a veteran pediatrician who has practiced medicine in Tupelo for several decades, and he received a 2008 Local Hero Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics Council for his work with the Tupelo chapter of Community Access to Child Health, or CATCH Kids, program.
The CATCH program was designed and introduced by the American Academy of Pediatrics to improve access to health care for children. Its mission is to support pediatricians who work with communities and local governments to ensure that all children have convenient places to go for medical needs.
With the help of volunteer physicians like Ivancic, CATCH Kids treats sick children in 10 school-based clinics in Tupelo, Okolona, Lee County and Pontotoc County schools, as well as four weekly community clinics in North Tupelo, Haven Acres and Okolona. All of the clinics are open to any child under 18, but there’s a special focus on those children who encounter barriers to service, such as lack of insurance or transportation.
The program also works with pharmacies to fill prescriptions at discounted rates. A group of Tupelo dentists also offer volunteer services to CATCH Kids patients. In all, clinic volunteers in the Tupelo region annually serve an average of 800 children who need medical care, along with 60 children who have dental needs.
Story by Kevin Litwin
