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, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profound and likely long-lasting impacts on children, youth and families. It has created and exacerbated negative impacts across every aspect of life: mental and physical health, suicidal ideation, learning loss, food insecurity, poverty, a diminished childcare sector, housing insecurity and homelessness, skyrocketing youth unemployment, and growing racial and economic inequities. The American Rescue Plan (P.L. 117-2) makes critical down payments to address these deep challenges and support the resilience of children and youth. The American Families Plan proposes additional, once in a generation investments in children and youth. To most effectively implement the provisions in the American Rescue Plan and build out a bold agenda that can successfully optimize equity, health, and well-being for children and youth over time, we need coordinated, sustained federal leadership.

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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, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

At Nemours, our core mission to help keep children healthy and thriving.

We are very encouraged to see that the Biden Administration announced this month another funding campaign to increase availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in an effort to lessen the spread and impact of the novel corona virus. Along with funding, the Administration is doubling down on efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy and disinformation – two powerful forces working against our nation’s recovery.

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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, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

The  Building a Systems Change Initiative Theory of Change helps to visually organize the focal areas and intended outcomes of systems change initiatives. This version provides annotations to guide users through the process to develop their own Theory of Change for their systems change initiative and includes specific examples using Nemours’ Harnessing Opportunity for Positive, Equitable Early Childhood Development Project (Project HOPE).  Click here for the resource.

This fillable form for the Building a Systems Change Initiative Theory of Change can be downloaded here separately without annotations. This version allows users to enter their systems change initiative focal areas and intended outcomes into a shareable PDF file. The organization completing this theory of change can also place their logo in the bottom right corner of the fillable form. Click here for the fillable form. (Right click to save the fillable form to your computer.)

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, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

COVID-19 has changed the landscape of health care, both in the short term and likely in the long term as well. Nemours Children’s Health System (Nemours) has always committed to a patient- and family-centered approach as the bedrock of the high quality care that children and families receive when they come to us. Yet, since the pandemic began, routine and emergent care have been interrupted as we all work together to slow the spread of the virus. At the same time, kids still need health care, and foregoing care can carry significant risk. Fortunately, Nemours had already made significant investments in telehealth capacity and has been providing virtual care for the last five years to supplement our in-person services.

In a recent op-ed published in The Hill, Nemours’ CEO Dr. Larry Moss said, “Telehealth offers a promising way back to health for patients and healthcare systems. As a surgeon, I see more efficient and effective care for patients. As a health system CEO, I see a path back to financial stability that optimizes patient care. As an optimist, I see a transformational opportunity for our health system to make 10 years of progress in 10 weeks.”

To aid in that transformation, Nemours has been participating in multiple efforts to advance telehealth policy change. At this moment, two specific policy opportunities are now on the horizon! In partnership with Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Congressman Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX), we’ve supported the development of the TIKES Act to take steps in this direction. Introduced on October 1, 2020, the bill would:

• Provide states with guidance and strategies to increase telehealth access for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) populations
• Require a study examining data and information on the impact of telehealth on the Medicaid population
• Require a study that reviews coordination among federal agency telehealth policies and examines opportunities for better collaboration, as well as opportunities for telehealth expansion into early care and education settings

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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, UCLA or the Moving Health Care Upstream initiative.

Our nation is currently facing critical issues that amplify the need for policy and systems change, especially those that impact the health and well-being of young children and their families. In order to effectively improve policies and systems, data are essential to identify and address the pervasive issues that affect health and well-being. Data can help to reveal areas that are most in need of reform, while data indicators can help to track progress towards equity.

To support states and communities in their efforts for policy and systems change, Nemours is pleased to announce the release of Selecting Indicators for Early Childhood Systems Change Projects: A Reference Guide. The purpose of this resource is to provide a guidance for groups working toward achieving optimal and equitable health outcomes for young children and their families to identify, select, and track data indicators that can inform and advance their efforts.

The Reference Guide provides concrete examples and the “why and how” of indicator selection, describing the reasons states and communities carrying out systems change projects can use indicators to shape the direction of their project and to describe what they hope to change in both the short-and long-term. The Guide also directs states and communities to where they can find data both for identifying issues and for describing and monitoring change.

Review the Reference Guide here.

Questions? Please email [email protected].