Health systems often fail to tap the expertise of the developmental disabilities community support and service system. In this 9-month pilot health system-level quality improvement project, a multi-disciplinary team of physician, pharmacist, and disabilities advocate reviewed electronic records of patients with Down syndrome in advance of…

Pediatric health care represents an innovative platform for implementation of low-cost, population-wide, preventive interventions to improve school readiness. This article describes the Video Interaction Project, a targeted intervention in the pediatric primary care setting designed to enhance parenting skills and boost school readiness. The…

Child maltreatment affects millions of children each year. health care providers are increasingly called upon to address such psychosocial problems facing many families. In this article, the authors describe a practical approach to further enhance pediatric primary care and make it more responsive to the needs of children and families. The Safe…

School-based health centers (SBHCs) are the "ideal location" for primary care and mental health staff to "collaboratively address students' physical and mental health needs"--leading to greater success in school and in life. This brief document provides key facts that support this argument.

This bnef document describes research and evaluations that have demonstrated that school-based health centers represent cost-effective investments of public resources.

Health care providers could help achieve the necessary shift to healthful eating and active living; however, lack of coverage or reimbursement, lack of time, and limited information about appropriate interventions are some of the documented barriers. This report highlights the potential for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education…

Poor academic outcomes and high dropout rates are major concerns of educators, policy makers, and parents alike--and poor health severely limits a child's motivation and ability to learn. Recent research confirms that "health disparities affect educational achievement". Improving students' health is integral to education reform.…

One of today's most pressing public health problems is the rise in childhood overweight and obesity. School-based health centers (SBHCs)--the convergence of public health, primary care, and mental health in schools--represent an important element in the public health toolbox for combating the challenging epidemic. When working side-by-side in a…

The National Assembly on School-Based Health Care's (NASBHC) 2007-2008 Census is the 11th request for data from school-based health centers (SBHCs) since 1986. The Census: (1) provides a better understanding of the role of SBHCs in meeting the needs of underserved children and adolescents; (2) collects relevant trend data on demographics,…

A five-year School Health Service demonstration program, sponsored by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, tested whether School Nurse Practitioners (SNP's) supported by community physicians could improve children's access to health care by expanding the health services in schools. The program was conducted in 18 school districts in medically…

The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford was established to provide community-based medical education. Students have extensive clinical training at community health centers, and 48% of graduates eventually practice primary care. To support generalist education, faculty changes in attitudes, behavior, and knowledge and curriculum…

The effectiveness of multidisciplinary patient conferences was examined. The question of multidisciplinary conference productivity was addressed by examining the impact of these conferences on a team's formulation of patient therapy plans, problem lists, hospitalization goals, and discharge date. (Author/MLW)

A program combining pediatrics and internal medicine is described. The four-year program, focusing on ambulatory care, alternates six-month rotations in each field and includes clinic training. Success factors include comparison of outpatient and inpatient care, developing an ambulatory practice to support resident salaries, and preparation for…

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and the Wisconsin Geriatric Education Center (WGEC) are committed to developing educational materials for primary care physicians in training. In response to the opportunity created by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency mandate, an MCW-led interdisciplinary working…

The Healthy Steps for Young Children program is a national initiative developed by pediatricians from Boston University in collaboration with professionals from the Commonwealth Fund. This program for families with young children (birth to 3 years of age) provides developmentally--oriented services within pediatric primary care through addition of…