We celebrate Black History Month by highlighting several individuals who have shared the importance of addressing emotional health for those living with a chronic condition.

The Healthcare Journey of

a Father and Son

Jonathan Webb and his 17-year-old son Jackson gave the Stockman Lecture, "Navigating Health Care Barriers," a plenary presentation at the October 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics Family Leadership Committee; Jackson is a high school senior who was diagnosed with the rare disorder chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).



“In many instances, a patient brings all of their health care baggage and the weight of navigating this complex system with them to your visits, along with the worry and pain of whatever it is they’re battling,” said Jackson Webb. “Our challenge to you is to see them, see them for who they are, the person, not just the patient, and not just the illness. Those providers who took the time to check in with us to learn about what we were going through and seem to genuinely care about us made a world of difference on some very dark days. We know the health care system doesn’t often allow for significant time to be spent with patients, but this connection and feeling seen is so important.”

Photo credit: American Academy of Pediatrics

Highlighting Patient and Parent Perspectives During Black History Month

A year later after publication, The Roadmap article The impact of being Black while living with a chronic condition: Inpatient perspectives, co-authored by a young adult patient and three parents is ranked in the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric!

The article details how Black families often carry unseen trauma into their hospital visits and provides actionable strategies to address equitable care.

Pediatric psychologist Lori Crosby has developed a short video that summarizes key themes and change strategies from the publication where she describes how healthcare providers can build a safe space when asking about and addressing the emotional health of Black patients and their families.

On the Road with Roadmap: Upcoming Events

27th Annual Update on Pediatric and Congenital Cardiovascular Disease

February 14-18

Scottsdale, AZ

• The American Board of Pediatrics Roadmap Project: Using quality improvement to support clinicians in addressing the emotional health of children with chronic conditions and their families.

Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) 2024 Annual Spring Meeting

April 16-19

Chicago, IL

• Using quality improvement to address emotional health in children with chronic conditions and their families.

Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting 2024

May 2-6

Toronto, CA

• Using quality improvement to successfully integrate the assessment of emotional health of children with chronic conditions & their families into practice: The ABP Roadmap Project MOC Part 4 Activity

Spring 2024 Virtual Roadmap Collaborative Learning Session

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

• For those teams participating in the current Roadmap Collaborative.

For more information, visit our website or email us.

The Roadmap Project is made possible with support from the American Board of Pediatrics Foundation and the David R. Clare and Margaret C. Clare Foundation.