Network News
New Journal of Pediatrics Study Examines Colorado Medicaid's Paid Family Caregiving Program
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Colorado allows parents to be employed as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) for their children.
A new network study compared paid family CNAs providing skilled care to children with medical complexities to non-family CNAs, looking at retention and hospitalization rates. It's a model we speculate could address workforce shortages while providing income to family caregivers. This study found that family caregivers were less likely to leave the paid role of caregiver when compared to non-family CNAs. They found slight differences in the number of hospital visits and how long the child was hospitalized.
Dr. Carolyn Foster served as lead author on this study, with family partner Christy Blakely, executive director of Family Voices Colorado.
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Researcher Spotlight
Lessons in Humility: Building a Foundation for a Regional Network of Complex Care
“It’s been humbling for me to realize that the time horizon that’s required for a research project with a goal of collaboration is pretty impractical. It’s not a high priority of much interest to a lot of family and community partners." - Neal deJong, MD, MPH
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We recently had the opportunity to speak with Drs. Neal deJong and David Ming about the role of academic medicine in helping families. For several years, they have been co-creating a coalition for complex care in North Carolina, with the help of families, parents, state agencies, clinicians, researchers, and community agencies.
What they've learned about helping patients and their families can best be summed up by David, who said, "50 more peer-reviewed publications is not the answer."
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Action Item
Do You Plan to Submit a Grant in the Next 12 Months?
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The CYSHCNet Primary Data Center can help anyone who is:
- Planning to submit a grant in the next 12 months, or
- Planning on transitioning from a K or K-equivalent award.
Dr. Ryan Coller is happy to connect to explore how we might help.
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In Memoriam
Dr. Steve Berman
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Dr. Steve Berman died on Jan. 17, 2023 after a brief illness. Steve’s career has been dedicated to underserved children in Colorado for over 50 years. He was instrumental in advocacy for children at the state, national, and international levels, serving as President of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2000, and was the recipient of numerous national and international awards in pediatrics and global health.
Steve was an advisor, mentor, and friend to many, including CYSHCNet director Dr. Chris Stille.
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Network News
Share this Link to Help Others Engage with the National Research Agenda
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CYSHCNet developed an interactive learning platform based on our national research agenda on health systems. It describes and provides guidance on how to implement elements of the national health systems research agenda developed by CYSHCNet in 2019-21. It is easy to navigate and provides challenges you may face, tips on organizing the study, and examples of potential projects. | |
LANGUAGE: This project is supported by CYSHCNet, which is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under UA6MC31101 Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Research Network. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, and the U.S. Government. | |
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Better Off at Home: How We Fail Children with Complex Medical Conditions. After a few difficult and anxiety-provoking experiences when his son is hospitalized for a complex medical condition, a pediatric hospitalist recognizes the need for changes in both clinicians’ approaches and broader policy.
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The ‘F-Words’ in Childhood Disability: I Swear This is How We Should Think! This paper's authors have tried to package a set of ideas, grounded in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (the ICF), into a series of what we have called ‘F-words’ in child neurodisability – function, family, fitness, fun, friends and future.
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Unmet Needs: Critics Cite Failures in Health Care for Vulnerable Foster Children. This article describes how children in foster care in Georgia and other states often lack timely access to care and other needed resources. These children do not lack insurance. Most children in the foster care system are eligible for Medicaid, and some even have private insurance. In spite of this, access to services, particularly mental and behavioral services, is challenging. This is often due to failures by managed care companies that states contract with, or failures of the state to manage these contracts.
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Childhood Obesity Requires Early, Aggressive Treatment, New Guidelines Say. In a shift from their previous “wait and see” approach to childhood obesity, the AAP now recommends that providers "offer treatment options early and at the highest available intensity.” The guidance also acknowledges that children with obesity often face bias within the health care system, and that in order to effectively manage childhood obesity, providers must take an unbiased, holistic approach to treatment.
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Colorado’s Expanded Preschool Program Received 12,000 Applications on its First Day — More than Officials Expected. Under Colorado’s new expanded preschool program, all 4-year-old children in the state will be eligible for at least 15 hours of free preschool per week, with some 3-year-olds will be eligible for up to 10. So far, the number of parents applying for the program is exceeding expectations, but the program is expected to be able to accommodate the influx.
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KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: December 2022. A recent KFF survey suggests that nearly 3-in-10 adults believe that parents should not be required to vaccinate their children in order to attend public schools, nearly doubling from 16% in 2019. This report expands on these results, as well as others related to attitudes towards vaccinations more generally.
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Social Media's Effects on Teen Mental Health Comes into Focus. Evidence and lawsuits around the damaging impact that social media use has on the mental health of children and teens are mounting. Among these, Seattle Public Schools recently filed suit against several major social media companies, claiming that their behavior has contributed to the current crisis in children’s mental health. While evidence for the causal link here is significant, the matter is complicated by the known benefits of social media, as well as its necessity in an increasingly technological world.
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CYSHCNet is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under UA6MC31101 Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Research Network. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, and the U.S. Government. Website | | | | |
