I was immediately drawn to Medan because of their unique model of care. Medan’s partnership with RAEY School ensures continuity of care, which allows for tracking of interventions and impact on health over time. While serving on the team in March, I had the privilege of witnessing first-hand the progress these children have made, which is remarkable.
One of Medan’s standout achievements has been the implementation of a robust nutrition program. Medan uses an electronic medical record, which allowed me as a provider to track the growth of the children — including their BMI before and after the program’s launch. It was truly inspiring to see how many of the children, who were initially underweight, have now moved into a healthy BMI range after two years of this intervention. Even more encouraging was the improvement in their vital signs and physical exams.
Medan has been utilizing many preventative screenings over the past two years. This year, our team implemented hearing screenings on each child. In one situation, a young boy failed his hearing screening. The staff at the school had been concerned that he might have an intellectual disability and was considering special education classes for him. Through our screening, we discovered that his challenges were not related to his intellectual capacity but, rather, to partial deafness. This revelation has allowed us to address the issue and get him the proper intervention. This is just one example of how Medan is identifying treatable conditions, leading to proper care and enhancing the ability of the children that they serve to succeed in school and fully participate in their communities.
While the needs can seem overwhelming, Medan’s approach of focusing on one child at a time is creating a ripple effect of hope and healing that is transforming lives. I am excited to see how God will continue to use this organization to advance His Kingdom and bring lasting change to the lives of the children they serve!
Erin Collins, PA-C
April, 2025