By: Jesse Chandna and Scott Orsey Social determinants of health, the circumstances in which people live and work, have a profound impact on the overall outcomes of children and their families. That is why Connecticut Children’s Medical Center places a priority not only on addressing the medical and surgical needs of young patients, but also…
Manchester Embraces Healthy Homes Support
By: Marcus Smith All year, we will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of Connecticut Children’s Healthy Homes Program (Healthy Homes) by shining a spotlight on those who have helped us fulfill our mission to make Connecticut’s homes safe and healthy. Since 2003, Healthy Homes has helped over 2,500 families. We are proud to count the…
Fighting the Childhood Obesity Epidemic
By: Nancy Trout, MD Despite interventions at the national, state, and local levels, the tide of childhood obesity continues to swell. Given the current level of childhood obesity, simulated models of growth trajectories across the life course predict that 57 percent of today’s children will be obese at 35 years of age. Development of obesity…
Care Coordination Forum: Enhancing Access to Crucial Supports and Services
By: Susan Roman, RN, MPH Veronica Rosario’s story highlights the impact care coordination can have on children and families. Rosario and her two children relocated to Connecticut from Puerto Rico in 2015, after her husband passed away from cancer and her youngest son was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. They moved in with her in-laws for…
Introducing Our Social Innovation Spotlight
By: Jacquelyn M. Rose We recently highlighted the importance of networks when cultivating and supporting social innovations in the blog, Supporting Networks of Innovators Addressing Social Needs, citing Steven Johnson’s quote, “If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come from just giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.” This…
Help Me Grow National Forum: “We Can Create Change!”
This year’s Help Me Grow National Forum was the largest to date for our Help Me Grow National Center (National Center), which is based at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, Connecticut. More than 400 child health advocates gathered in Seattle from 29 states for the 3-day event. In 2017, 99 Help Me Grow systems…
Help Me Grow National Forum: The Inspiration Behind our Keynote Address
By: Kimberly Martini-Carvell The organizing, investing and curating of information, attendees and partners for the Help Me Grow National Forum is actualized by many. The Forum planning committee contributes significant energy and resources in informing and designing the content, while Help Me Grow National Center (National Center) staff works diligently to ensure that every opportunity…
Help Me Grow National Forum: Resisting the Bright Shiny Object – A Systems Approach to Innovation
By: Erin Cornell, MPH We have two objectives with respect to innovation at the Help Me Grow Annual Forum: first, bringing greater visibility to innovative approaches of Help Me Grow (HMG) affiliates across the country, and second, distinguishing novel system enhancements with the potential to strengthen our mission to advance the early detection of developmental…
Help Me Grow National Forum: Building Partnerships, Broadening Impact
By: Kimberly Martini-Carvell I am so excited for the 9th annual Help Me Grow National Forum to kick off today in Seattle, Washington. We are expecting more than 400 child health advocates to attend the 3-day event that includes Help Me Grow (HMG) affiliates, thought leaders in early childhood system building, state and federal partners,…
Help Me Grow National Forum: An Opportunity to Advance a “Child-First” Agenda
By: Paul H. Dworkin, MD and Sharon Beaudoin As debate rages on as to how best reform our health care system, we ask, “What about our children?” It’s a question likely on the minds of the more than 400 child health advocates gathering in Seattle this week for the 9th annual Help Me Grow National Forum. This…
Connecticut Children’s Healthy Homes Program Celebrates 15 Years
By: Marcus Smith Over the past 15 years, Connecticut Children’s Healthy Homes Program (Healthy Homes) has made a remarkable impact on children and families in Connecticut. To date, Healthy Homes has received more than $30 million in federal funding since 2003, which has allowed us to tap into another $27.5 million in matching grants from…
Supporting Networks of Innovators Addressing Social Needs
By: Jacquelyn M. Rose, MPH As Steven Johnson, author of “Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation” said, “If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come from just giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.” That’s exactly the kind of opportunity the Early Childhood Innovation Prize…