“The mission of Positively Kids is to provide high quality healthcare services for medically fragile and/or developmentally delayed children, birth to 18, and their families in Southern Nevada.”
Ordinary People ~ Extraordinary Hearts
In 1999, there were almost no services for children with special needs in Las Vegas. Especially medically fragile children and their families were finding it hard to get the services they so badly needed. Medically fragile children are medically stable, yet either by birth or through accident require skilled nursing services, therapies (physical, occupational, speech), and/or equipment to enhance or sustain their lives. Positively Kids serves children ranging in age from birth to 18 who suffer from cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, cancer, heart and lung disease, spina bifida, and any number of other conditions that threaten their ability to survive without proper medical care.
At the time Positively Kids was formed, many parents who, when confronted with needing to care for a severely medically dependent child, were told to put the child in an adult nursing facility (not prepared to care for children) or to send the child out of state for care. These options were totally unacceptable!
To meet the growing need for services that could help families cope with the 24/7-365 requirements and responsibilities of caring for a medically fragile child, Fred Schultz, Positively Kids’ Founder and Chief Executive Officer, began to bring this critical service gap to the attention of the community and formed Positively Kids as a community-based, non-profit organization.
Today the program provides a wide variety of skilled services for over 600 children and families – every day – throughout Clark County. Locations and services include: the medical clinic for the Clark County Department of Family Services on its Child Haven campus, three school-based clinics with the fourth to open in late Fall 2015, and the Neopediatric clinic on the east side of Las Vegas. Other services include an Early Intervention program that has a census of over 210 children every month. In this program the children are screened and assessed for developmental delays; with therapies, such as speech, physical and occupational therapy, that are subsequently provided. Positively Kids also offers a nursing program that provides home healthcare, respite care and medical daycare for children in need of skilled nursing. In order to facilitate uninsured children and families Positively Kids has the expertise to offer enrollment assistance into Medicaid, Nevada Check-up and other public programs.
The organization has developed a committed and knowledgeable, 15 member Board of Directors reflective of the Las Vegas community, who provide guidance and oversight. Dozens of volunteers stand ready to help with fund raising events and children’s events such as Breakfast with Santa, Shop with a Cop, and many others.
Every day, caring and dedicated Positively Kids doctors, nurse practitioners, RN’s, other skilled nurses, therapists and health coaches help families to understand how they can safely meet the medical and social needs of their children, and provide comfort and support for parents and other family members.
We love our customers and welcome your feedback and suggestions. Use our Contact Us page to tell us what we’re doing right or what we can improve on.
Call our Administrative offices Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (702) 262-0037
