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Everyone Needs Help Sometimes

If you have mental health needs, it’s important to deal with them, especially before they get worse and become a crisis. No mental health journey is the same – but the information below can help you lead a peaceful life. …

Three Easier New Year’s Resolutions for 2023

When you make a New Year’s resolution, go easy on yourself. Set a goal that is small enough to stick to every day. Over time, small steps add up to big results. …

Reward Yourself—It’s Good for Your Health

It’s important to celebrate your successes often. Try out a few of the rewards mentioned. Keep yourself on track during the holidays—and into the new year. …

Stay Safe and Healthy After a Hospital Stay

Your hospital stay is over—but your recovery could continue for weeks or months. No matter what sent you there, follow your doctor’s instructions and the tips below. …

Childhood Fear of the Dentist: Here’s How to Help

Does your child have anxiety at the dentist? Here are a few ways to help them feel calmer and more confident. …

Get Important Medicaid Updates through YourTexasBenefits.com

If you have a HEALTHfirst (STAR Medicaid) or KIDSfirst (CHIP) plan, it’s important to make sure that Texas Health & Human Services (HHSC) has your current contact information on file. If the information is not current, you will miss important updates regarding the expiration of your healthcare coverage. …

The Health Benefits of Breastfeeding

If you’re getting ready to welcome a new baby, you might be thinking about breastfeeding.…

Plan Now for Back to School Health Checkups, Vaccines—and More

It’s time to get your child ready for back to school. Whether that means daycare, preschool, or K-12, Parkland HEALTHfirst (STAR Medicaid) and KIDSfirst (CHIP) can help!…

Get Help with Food and Groceries — Use Findhelp

Compared to a year ago, prices are up for cereal, meat, milk, produce, and more. The good news is Parkland Community Health Plan offers support through the Findhelp platform.…

Finding baby formula during the current shortage

You may know about the shortage of baby formula in local stores, caused partly by Abbott Nutrition’s recall of certain kinds of formula. Production is starting again soon, but it may be a few more weeks before things get back to normal.…

How to Talk with Your Teenagers About Sex

As a parent, you know it’s important to talk to your children about preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This is especially true when they become teenagers.…

Looking for Easy and Convenient Access to Care? Try Telehealth.

Parkland Community Health Plan (PCHP) now offers telehealth services at no cost for all HEALTHfirst and KIDSfirst members age 0-21. This includes easy and convenient access to pediatricians through a partnership with telehealth provider KidzDocNow.…

American Heart Month Series: Heart Health Tips for Families

If you want to help your children avoid heart disease when they grow up, read this blog. We give you tips on how to start them on the right track while they are still young.…

American Heart Month Series: What Are Risk Factors of Heart Disease?

If you want to keep your heart, arteries, and veins as healthy as possible, there’s good news. You can take small steps every day to stay well and prevent disease.…

American Heart Month Series: What Is Heart Disease?

February—American Heart Month—is an excellent time to learn about heart health for yourself and your family. This blog explains different types of heart disease. Watch for additional blogs covering risk factors and heart health tips for families.…

Teen Dating Violence: How to Help Your Child

Teenage relationships can also be heartbreaking—and even violent. The good news is you can help your teenager to protect themselves from unhealthy dating relationships.…

Help for PCHP Members Affected by Severe Weather

This week’s winter storm could cause problems across North Texas. If you are a member of Parkland Community Health Plan, there are services available to help you. Important Phone Numbers For medical…

Better Sleep Means Better Mental Health

People with these mental illnesses and disorders can have a hard time falling or staying asleep. They also might sleep many more hours than other people.…

Common Milestones for Your Child to Reach by Age Five

At Parkland Community Health Plan, we want to help you to help your children be as healthy as possible, every step of the way. Below, we’ve listed a few of the developmental milestones to watch for by age five.…

How to Use Your Dental and Vision Benefits

Visiting your doctor isn’t the only way to stay healthy – it’s important to see your dentist and eye doctor, too. Parkland Community Health Plan offers a number of benefits for dental and vision care.…

How To Quit Smoking

It can be very hard to quit smoking — but it’s one of the most important things you can do to help your baby to be healthy, before and after they’re born.…

Should I Go to the Emergency Room or to My Doctor?

Dr. Silva gives easy step-by-step instructions on how to make this important decision when you or a loved one is sick or injured.…

No-Cost Birth Control—Where to Find It

Do you need no-cost birth control pills, diaphragms, condoms, or other family planning services? If you live in North Texas, here are two options to consider.…

Is it COVID, a cold or the flu?

Do you know the difference between the flu and COVID-19 or the common cold? Parkland Community Health Plan shares the differences between all three.…

You’ve applied for Medicaid or CHIP. Should you apply for the Marketplace, too?

When you apply for Medicaid or CHIP, you might wait up to 45 days before learning if your application is approved. If you do not get approved, it’s good to have a backup plan. Getting coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace is one way to plan ahead. …

Need a Ride to the Doctor? PCHP May Be Able to Help

Have you ever missed a doctor visit because you didn’t have a way to get there? PCHP offers non-emergency medical transportation to all HEALTHfirst (STAR Medicaid) members.…

Keep Your Family Safe on Hot Texas Days

People of all ages can become seriously ill during hot days. However, babies and young children are at even higher risk. So before you head out for the day, check this list of summer safety tips.…

CHIP Renewal FAQs

Why do I need to renew my CHIP/CHIP Perinate benefits? In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) temporarily waived the renewal requirements for CHIP…

Register for Our Member Portal and Get a Reward!

Did you know that Parkland Community Health Plan members can receive a $20 reward when they register in our NEW member portal?…

COVID-19 and Mental Health Services – Are You Covered?

We’ve all had to make a lot of changes to our daily lives since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many people are feeling overwhelmed – and not just about the virus. If you need to seek help for mental health treatment, Parkland Community Health Plan has you covered. …

All About Pyx

All expecting moms can use a little extra support. That’s why Parkland Community Health Plan is happy to offer the free Pyx mobile app to our pregnant members age 18 and older. …

Black Maternal Health Week: Doing Our Part to Help Prevent Premature Births

In observation of Black Maternal Health Week, Parkland Community Health Plan (PCHP), in partnership with Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI) want to highlight our efforts in Dallas to prevent preterm births, which is especially impactful on women in under-served communities. …

COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

DSHS recently launched the Texas Public Health Scheduler to help people sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine through participating public entities across Texas. …

Have the Spring Blues? These Tips Can Help

Even though that change is positive, it can be stressful too—especially if you have the “spring blues.” Self-care is important, and knowing a few tips can help. They are simple, but they are not always easy to do.…

COVID-19 and Medicaid: What to Know About Testing and Other Services

It’s been one year since COVID-19 first came to the United States. The number of infections is getting lower, but new cases are still being reported every day. The good news is that getting a COVID…

FAQ About the COVID-19 Vaccine

Why should I get the COVID-19 vaccine? A COVID-19 vaccine helps protect you from getting sick. That’s important because, if you get sick with COVID-19:there’s no way to know how it will affect you.…

How to Choose a Medicaid Plan for Your Family

You applied for Texas Medicaid. Your application was approved. And that’s great news. You are one step closer to better health for yourself and your family. But there are a few more steps you need to…

Managing School During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, managing your child’s schooling was easier. You got them to the bus stop—or the school—on time. You checked their homework. Did they need extra help? If so, you called…

When To Go To The Emergency Room vs Urgent Care

When medical situations occur, we’re often faced with uncertainty about where to go for care, especially if the symptoms seem severe and our regular doctor’s office is closed. While the answer is not always simple, knowing the difference between walk-in clinics, urgent care and emergency care and where to seek treatment could save your life in a medical emergency.…

What is the Dallas Healthy Start Program?

The Dallas Healthy Start program is an in-home service that aims to reduce infant deaths, preterm, and low-weight births. The staff is made up of English and Spanish-speaking community health workers…

Four Stress Management Tips

The cause of stress is different for everyone. For one person, it could be from trying to pay rent. For another, it could be a result of a health issue. No matter the reason, keeping the negative effects of stress in check is important for your overall health. …

Welcome to the Living Well Blog!

What does Living Well mean? It’s more than just a healthy diet and exercise. It includes all aspects of life. Our goal with the Living Well blog is to share information and resources to the community…

We’re in this Together

COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. The “normal” we were used to is a distant memory as we work to learn how to navigate our “new normal.” And, with change comes uncertainty. At Parkland…

Extended Access to Care for COVID-19

We are expanding your access to care, support and resources to help you navigate through this uncertain time. We are committed to making every effort to protect your health by keeping you safe in your home while still enabling you to get the right care.…