Vision issues are the most preventable disabling condition that children experience, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). But since young children aren’t able to articulate vision impairments, diagnosis and treatment relies entirely on regular screenings. Early screening can detect serious health concerns and prompt proactive intervention. If left undiagnosed, vision impairments can result…
Updating or introducing new policies can be an important driver of change. However, we often experience a long and arduous process as we vet the evidence, consider the impact of change, write the policy and move it through our systems to final approval. Before we’re done, we need to confirm buy-in from many stakeholders, all at…
Here at NICHQ, we’re in the improvement business. That means we help a lot of people handle the uncertainty and challenges that come with managing change. Whether imposed or chosen, however, frequent change efforts can sometimes lead to change fatigue. Leadership expert Gwen Webber-McLeod, president and CEO of Gwen Inc., describes change fatigue as a…
Precious, a child born with sickle cell disease, spent days crying because she was suffering and no one knew why. Later, when Precious was diagnosed, her family would learn her tissues were deprived of oxygen, causing frequent pain episodes that required medication for relief. Fatima Oyeku was left in hospital emergency rooms, waiting in excruciating…
In our line of work, positive outcomes depend on the careful synergy of multiple systems. Because children’s health is influenced by a great many factors, simultaneously engaging systems at the community, city, state and government level is essential for significant change. All too often we discover that two state agencies can be closely aligned on…
NICHQ has spent the past two decades advancing children’s health. We are leaders not because we follow the same routines, but because we seek innovation. At NICHQ, we do things differently. NICHQ President and CEO Scott Berns, MD, MPH, FAAP, joined fellow healthcare innovators at HUBweek, Boston’s festival for the future. As a keynote speaker…
Using data to understand system-level change is critical for quality improvement (QI) projects. Data, viewed in a sequence, like time or a series of events, helps us understand if changes we make to a system or process bring about improvement. Yet, it’s easy to under or over react to one data point change on…
C-sections financed by Medicaid, on average, cost nearly $5,000 more than vaginal births. With state Medicaid agencies financing nearly half of all births each year, improving birth outcomes is a priority. A 50-state environmental scan of strategies to improve women’s access to high quality preventive and perinatal care—released earlier this year in coordination with the…
A new issue brief from NICHQ and the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) provides insight into the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant developmental screening activities across the country, one aspect of enhancing systems that support early childhood development. Entitled Early Childhood Developmental Screening and Title…
Assembling a team for a quality improvement (QI) initiative is a lot like finding players for a game of kickball on the playground – there needs to be a range of skills to fill key positions and ensure success. And building a well-rounded team can go a long way towards earning engagement from senior leaders….