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The DC Department of Health (DC Health) strongly recommends the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, a safe and effective way to prevent measles, a highly contagious disease. Learn more.

Health Education

HSCSN wants to make it easy for you to find resources to help you live your best life. You can find out how to manage your conditions, learn about Immunization shot schedules and find community health and family support programs. 

If you want more information, contact Customer Care at (202) 467-2737 or 1 (866) 937-4549. 

General

DCPS School Year Notifications

Dental Health

Immunizations

Immunizations are shots that help your body fight off diseases. Learn why these shots are so important and how they help prevent your child from getting certain diseases.

Flu Shots

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu shot. The Flu shot can help you prevent the Flu. Other ways to prevent the flu include washing your hands, covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and avoiding contact with sick people.

This Flu season it is likely that Flu viruses will spread along with the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Because of this, it is important to reduce the spread of the Flu virus. Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they may reduce the number of people who get sick from the Flu. COVID-19 and the flu share similar symptoms.  There are some key differences between the two viruses. For more information, please view the chart in the letter below.

If you have not gotten your Flu shot, it is not too late. HSCSN enrollees can get a Flu shot by visiting their primary care providers. Enrollees over the age of 18 can get free Flu shots at all CVS pharmacies. If you have questions, please contact HSCSN Customer Care at (202) 467-2737 or 1 (866) 937-4549. 

Learn about CVS Flu Shots
HSCSN Flu Shot Letter

Immunization Resources: 

American Academy of Pediatrics

Center for Disease Control (CDC) 

Growth Charts

DC Health Matters Connect
Find resources using our search tool!

Here at HSC Health Care System / Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc. (HSCSN), we know that there are many factors that affect your health. HSCSN has partnered with DC Health Matters. DC Health Matters is a group of organizations working to better connect families to the resources and healthcare they need. You can find information about food, educational programs, and legal services. Enter your zip code in the box below to start finding resources near you.

 

Caregiver Resources

As a caregiver, you do many things to help those with health care needs. All that work can put an emotional and physical strain on you. That is why it is important that you also take care of yourself.  Learn what you can do to take care of yourself as you care for someone else.

Community Resources

Back to School Medical Forms

HSCSN wants to help your child get ready for school. Bring all the forms that you need your child's doctor to sign to your next doctor visit.

  • Universal health certificate
  • Oral health assessment form
  • Asthma action plan
  • Medication forms

Remember to give all of these forms to your child’s school after your doctor visit. We want to make sure your child is ready to learn. 

Help to Quit Smoking

Talk with your care manager if you or your child need help to quit smoking. Find more support from these resources.

 

Self-Management Tools

Health Promotion Area

Tool
Healthy Weight (BMI) Maintenance
Smoking and Tobacco Use Cessation
Encouraging Physical Activity
Healthy Eating
Managing Stress
Avoiding At-Risk Drinking
Identifying Depressive Symptoms

 

 

 

 

 

Manage Your Condition

Asthma

Asthma affects a person's breathing. Airways in the lungs, called breathing tubes, swell and narrow, making it harder for air to get through. People with asthma may be extra sensitive to things like smoke, cold air, and exercise. Asthma might be triggered by anything that causes an allergic reaction, such as dust mites or pollen.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common brain disorder. The disorder makes it hard for a child to focus and pay attention. Some children may be too active. This is called hyperactive. Hyperactive children might have trouble controlling themselves.

Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disorder that people are born with or that happens early in life. It affects the brain and makes interacting with other people (chatting, playing, hanging out, or socializing with others) more difficult.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness. People who have it go through unusual mood changes. They go from very happy and active (“up”) to very sad, hopeless, and inactive (“down”). It is also called manic-depressive disorder because the “up” period is mania, and the “down” period is depression.

Burns & Wounds

Burn can be caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight, or radiation. There are three types of burns: 1) First-degree burns damage only the outer layer of skin. 2) Second-degree burns damage the outer layer and the layer underneath. 3) Third-degree burns damage or destroy the deepest layer of skin and tissues underneath. 4) Fourth-degree burns reach into the muscle below the skin.

Cancer

Cancer is a disease caused by cells that are not normal, and that can spread to other parts of the body. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for where they start. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and breast cancer starts in the breast. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy happens when the parts of the brain that control how a person moves do not develop properly or get damaged. It appears in the first few years of life. People with cerebral palsy may have difficulty walking. They may also have trouble with tasks such as writing or using scissors. Some have other medical conditions, like seizures.

Contraception (Birth Control)

Contraception is another word for birth control. Birth control helps people plan when they would like to have children. There are many types of birth control, including condoms, pills, and IUDs. Some birth control methods can also lower your risk of HIV and other STDs. Talk to your provider about which birth control method is best for you. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact your Care Manager.               

COPD

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) makes it hard for people to breathe. The main cause of COPD is exposure to substances that harm the lungs. This is usually cigarette smoke. Air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust can also cause it.

Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) causes a person’s mucus to be thick and sticky. The mucus clogs the lungs and other organs. It causes breathing problems, lung infections, and lung damage.

Depression

Depression is a brain disease. It is more than just feeling “down.” People with depression may feel sad all the time and lose interest in activities. Depression gets in the way of everyday life.

Developmental Disabilities

Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions that cause both physical and mental problems that usually last a lifetime.

Diabetes

Diabetes happens when the body does not make enough of a hormone called insulin or does not use it the right way.  When this happens, your blood glucose, or blood sugar, level gets too high. Type 1 diabetes is when your body does not make any insulin. Type 2 diabetes is when the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or the body ignores it.

Down Syndrome

People with Down syndrome are born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. Chromosomes control how a baby’s body forms during pregnancy. Some people with Down syndrome have physical problems, along with developmental disabilities.  Every person born with Down syndrome is different.

Epilepsy/Seizures

Epilepsy causes a person to have seizures. The seizures happen when nerve cells in the brain send out the wrong signals. This causes a person to feel strange. They may fall and shake or pass out.

  • About Epilepsy (Department of Veterans Affairs)
  • Epilepsy (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
  • Epilepsy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Epilepsy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal alcohol syndrome is caused when a woman drinks alcohol while pregnant. The effects can include physical and behavioral problems.

HIV Infection/AIDS

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It harms the body's immune system cells. That is the part of the body that fights off disease and infections.  AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the most advanced stage of infection with HIV.

Learning Disabilities

Learning disorders affect how a person understands, remembers and uses new information. People with learning disorders may have problems listening or paying attention, speaking, reading or writing, and doing math. Some children with learning disabilities also have ADHD.

Lung Diseases

There are many lung diseases that make breathing hard. 

Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell anemia is when the body makes red blood cells that are shaped like a half-moon. They should be round shaped. These sickle cells get stuck in blood vessels and block the flow of the blood. This causes pain and harm to organs in the body.

Speech & Language Disorders in Children

Many disorders can affect people's ability to speak and communicate. They range from saying sounds incorrectly to being unable to speak or understand speech. Sometimes a delay may be caused by hearing loss. Other times it may be due to a speech or language disorder.

Spina Bifida

Spina bifida happens during pregnancy. The baby’s spinal cord does not close properly. This harms the brain and spinal cord. Many people with spina bifida need assistive devices, like braces or wheelchairs, and they may have learning problems.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, happens when a person has a serious bump or blow to the head. It causes harm to the brain. The problems that TBI can cause are different for each person.