WASHINGTON, DC (December 6, 2023) -- As part of the Nemours Children’s Health commitment to the White House’s goal of ending hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity by 2030, the leading pediatric health system has created a guidance document to help other health systems identify and address health-related social needs, such as food insecurity, and utilize data to enhance primary prevention efforts and policy work.
The implementation guide - a combined case study and guidance resource to inform the work of health systems, particularly children’s health systems - offers lessons from the Nemours Children’s experience creating and implementing a social needs screening process tailored for a pediatric population. The guide and screening tool help providers better understand and address the social needs of the communities they serve.
The guide is one of four commitments Nemours made as part of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. The commitments were highlighted at the Conference in September 2022. In August 2023, Nemours created 10 actionable videos for parents about children’s nutrition and well-being. The video content is free to everyone and available on KidsHealth.org, a pioneer and leader in pediatric health content that has been trusted by millions worldwide for more than 25 years. Nemours also signed agreements with Philabundance and the Chester County Food Bank to ensure more children have access to nutritious food during out-of-school time.
Collectively, the resources and work associated with the four commitments, showcased on this new dedicated webpage, are intended to help families stay healthy and to foster collaboration among health systems, non-profits and policymakers.
“The creation of these valuable resources further demonstrates our commitment to the goals of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health by helping health systems better identify the needs of families and children they serve,” said Kara Odom Walker, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer, Nemours Children’s Health. “The guidance document, KidsHealth.org, and our new web page are designed to help health systems look outside of their clinic walls, identify community-based resources, and go well beyond medicine when caring for families.”
As a testament to the Nemours work in this field, the pediatric care provider was the only health system recognized in the White House’s first ever U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health, which was released in November 2023.
To view the implementation guide, “Developing and Scaling a Social Needs Screening and Referral Process for Pediatric Patient Families, Insights From Nemours Children’s Health” click here.
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children’s Health is one of the nation’s largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children’s hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children’s seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also caring for the health of the whole child beyond medicine. Nemours Children’s also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org. Nemours KidsHealth is a pioneer and leader in pediatric health content that has been trusted by millions worldwide for more than 25 years.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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