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FROM THE PRESIDENT
Upward Shifting Baselines
By Millie Jones, MPH
Recently I read about the concept of "shifting baseline" as a type of change to how a system is measured. The term comes out of the ocean/environmental world and the article went on the describe that a decline occurs in a way that is almost too slow for one to notice and that what we think of as normal is really reflective of a diminished reality (concept was coined by Daniel Pauly in 1995 and discussed in a recent Time magazine article). [more]
FROM THE CEO
What a pleasure it is to finally have arrived at AMCHP in mid-March! Departing from one extraordinary organization (NACCHO) with its critical focus on local governmental public health and getting orienting to another vibrant, thriving organization (AMCHP) with its focus on a target population has truly been a transition within a transition. And, although the evolution will continue for me for some time, the work of AMCHP forges ahead. [more]
FEATURES
National Standards Designed to Help States Build Quality Systems of Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
By Karen VanLandeghem, MPH
Senior Advisor, AMCHP
In March of 2014, AMCHP, with support from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, released a groundbreaking set of standards and companion background white paper designed to help communities, states, and the nation build and improve systems of care for CYSHCN.[more]
Transitioning CYSHCN into Medicaid Managed Care: An Emerging Issue for Title V Programs
By Veronica Helms
Program Manager, Child and Adolescent Health, AMCHP
Creating a comprehensive, quality system of care for CYSHCN has been one of the most challenging priorities for state Title V programs and key stakeholders such as Medicaid, health plans, provider groups, and families. As states undergo health reform, many struggle to provide high-needs populations with quality, cost-effective care. [more]
AMCHP Supports Oregon's Work on Preconception Health for Young Adults with Disabilities
By Julie M. McFarlane, MPH
Women's Health Operations & Policy Analyst, Center for Prevention and Health Promotion, Oregon Public Health Division
Carolyn McCoy
Senior Policy Analyst, AMCHP
As part of an ALC supported by AMCHP, Oregon created a team that consisted of members from Oregon Public Health Division offices (Women's Health and Adolescent Health); Oregon Health & Science University, Office of Women's Health; Women with Disabilities Health Equity Coalition (WowDHEC); National Youth Leadership Network; GimpGirl Community; and youth with disabilities, with the goal of developing and implementing action plans, sharing strategies and problem solving across communities around preconception health. [more]
New Health Care Transition Efforts: Clinical Resources, Interactive Website and State Title V Partnership
By Daniel Beck and Margaret McManus,
Got Transition/Center for Health Care Transition Improvement, The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health
Got Transition, the federally funded Center for Health Care Transition Improvement, is the new national resource center dedicated to expanding the availability of effective health care transition supports. Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, this new center began its first year's activities by updating the Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition (Version 2.0) and launching a new website. [more]
Moving Toward Health Equity: Reducing Disparities for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder
By Kate Taft, MPH
Senior Program Manager, CYSHCN, AMCHP
Reducing health disparities is an important focus in public health and a critical strategy in moving toward health equity. In May, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Combating Autism Act Initiative (CAAI) grantees from Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio presented on their efforts to address health disparities for people with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities (ASD/DD). [more]
The National MCH Workforce Development Center: Focusing on Services for CYSHCN
By Dorothy Cilenti
Principal Investigator and Director, National MCH Workforce Development Center, UNC Gillings School of Public Health
Amy Mullenix
Senior Collaboration Manager, National MCH Workforce Development Center
The National MCH Workforce Development Center (Center) aims to strengthen the capacity of Title V agencies to be the "go to" leaders in their states and territories for the maternal and child health population in an era of health transformation. The Center provides an integrated set of training, coaching and consultative resources to support states and territories in implementing and sustaining effective change in the context of health reform. [more]
VIEW FROM WASHINGTON
Raising the Flag for Collective Impact in MCH
By Brent Ewig, MHS
Director, Policy & Government Affairs, AMCHP
Each year around this time I start thinking about the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. The parades, cook outs, fireworks and flags will all be on display soon. And when I think about these patriotic celebrations, I'm reminded that nothing is more American than baseball, motherhood and apple pie. Here at AMCHP, we see our job as raising the flag for all moms (and we like our Washington Nationals baseball team and a good slice of pie too -- but I digress). [more]
REAL LIFE STORY
It's Time to Apply Workforce Development to Family Leaders
By Donna Yadrich
Kansas Department of Health and Environment Family Delegate
In April 2010, my daughter, Audrey, was planning the transition from middle school to high school. She would only attend high school for less than one day.
Audrey was diagnosed as a toddler with a very rare autoimmune syndrome that caused unpredictable, chronic and acute life-threatening diseases. She had been in the gifted and talented program since kindergarten and managed to earn straight As. However, her ability to physically function had been greatly impaired by medical fragility. [more]
SUCCESS STORY
Addressing Health Disparities for CYSHCN in New Mexico
By Susan Chacon, MSW, LISW
New Mexico CYSCHN Director
In New Mexico approximately 80,000 children and youth meet the MCH definition of having a special health care needs. The percent who identify their race/ethnicity other than white alone is 74 percent. Many families live in rural/frontier areas and have high rates of poverty. Many are immigrant families of mixed status with limited options for health care. [more]
WHO'S NEW
New MCH Leaders and AMCHP Staff
See a list of new MCH Leaders. [more]
GET INVOLVED
July CoIIN Infant Mortality Summits
AMCHP is proud to partner with MCHB and NICHQ to organize sessions at the 2014 Collaborative Improvement and Innovation and Network (CoIIN) Infant Mortality Summits. The Infant Mortality Summits will convene states from Regions I-III and VII-X to prepare them for the rollout of the CoIIN initiative in their state. Regions VII-X will meet Jul. 21-22, and Regions I-III will meet Jul. 24-25. Both summits will take place in the Washington, DC, area. A third summit for the Pacific Basin jurisdictions will be held Aug. 24-26 in Honolulu, HI. [more]
Building, Implementing, and Sustaining Teen Pregnancy Prevention Efforts
Please join us on Thursday, Jun. 26 from 2-3 p.m. EST for a timely discussion of state examples of teen pregnancy prevention programming through the lenses of positive youth development, the program implementation life cycle, and disparity reduction. In recent weeks and coinciding with Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in May, numerous federal partners and their grantees participated in webinars on teen pregnancy prevention activities, including on the topics of engaging males and prevention of subsequent teen pregnancies. As MCH programs consider their own efforts designing, coordinating, and evaluating teen pregnancy prevention programs within their state, this AMCHP webinar will highlight three state teen pregnancy initiatives at different stages of implementation, and will focus on their efforts to reduce disparities (by race/ ethnicity and urban versus rural) in teen pregnancy and childbearing, leveraging novel partnerships and outreach methods. [more]
DATA AND TRENDS
See an infographic on whether CYSHCN face a high rate of disparity than non-CYSHCN here.
RESOURCES
View CYSHCN resources here.