Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

On December 1^st, Nemours Children’s Health, March of Dimes (MOD), Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago hosted the third annual Hot Topics in Neonatology^® 2022 Cindy Pellegrini Maternal & Child Health Advocacy Day.

This virtual event honors Cindy Pellegrini, who passed away in 2019, leaving behind a legacy as a tireless advocate for maternal and child health. The event brings together health care professionals and advocates to share their experience and expertise and ask Congress to act on important infant and maternal health policies.
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Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

Today Nemours Children’s Health’s Executive Vice President, Dr. Kara Odom Walker (also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians) and Daniella Gratale, Director of the Office of Child Health Policy and Advocacy, participated in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health (the Conference) —more than 50 years after the last conference on this topic. In collaboration with the Conference, Nemours Children’s made a commitment to help address hunger and improve nutrition and health for our nation’s children. [Read more…]

Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

On Monday, August 1, 2022, Nemours Children’s Health hosted a Pediatric Mental Health Roundtable at the Nemours Estate in Wilmington, Delaware. Special guests included U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-At-Large), Delaware’s Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long, and other community and business leaders, state officials, and area youth and families. This post describes key policy recommendations highlighted throughout the event in several areas, including pediatric mental health workforce, infrastructure, telehealth and school wellness. 

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Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

Authors:

• Joshua Ogburn, Manager of Policy
• Katie Boyer, Senior Advisor, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs
• Daniella Gratale, Director, Office of Child Health Policy & Advocacy

Poverty is the single largest driver of health according to the World Health Organization. A 2019 National Academies of Sciences report noted, “on average, a child growing up in a family whose income is below the poverty line experiences worse outcomes than a child from a wealthier family in virtually every dimension.”[i] Congress has an opportunity to ensure that children have a strong start in life by maintaining crucial anti-poverty provisions in the Build Back Better Act.

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Disclaimer: Moving Health Care Upstream is a collaborative effort originally co-led by Nemours Children’s Health System (Nemours) and the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California- Los Angeles (UCLA). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Nemours Children’s, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

Authors:
• Joshua Ogburn, Manager of Policy, Nemours Children’s Health
• Daniella Gratale, Director of the Office of Child Health Policy and Advocacy, Nemours Children’s Health
• Tyler Jakab, former Program and Policy Analyst, Nemours Children’s Health

A growing mental, emotional and behavioral (MEB) health crisis among children and youth has been unfolding as children and families have experienced economic, social, and emotional challenges compounded by the pandemic. While Congress and the Biden Administration have responded by making investments through COVID relief bills, including the American Rescue Plan (P.L. 117-2), federal leaders should take additional steps to holistically address the current crisis. To better understand the challenges and identify action steps, Nemours Children’s Health hosted convenings, wrote a letter to Congress in partnership with local and regional stakeholders, and developed an issue brief in partnership with Mental Health America that describes the state of MEB health among children and offers numerous federal policy recommendations.

The Issue [Read more…]