Nemours answers call for kids’ health
Earlier this month the Children’s Hospital Association, a group representing 220 pediatric hospitals in the United States, released an important report referred to as a “wake-up call” for policy-makers.
It found that today’s children are under duress and represent a population that is shrinking. At the same time, the study noted that we are seeing an increasing demand for programs that support our growing senior population. The CHA report spotlights these converging trends to highlight the importance in investing in children. Now more than ever we need to invest more, not less. Like all investments, they should be diversified — federal, state, local and private.
The purpose of Nemours Foundation is to invest in children’s health care and wellness. We strive to be shared guardians of children’s health and joy, through the Nemours promise — a promise that expanded in Central Florida when Nemours Children’s Hospital opened its doors five years ago today.
This investment allows direct access to more than 100 pediatric specialists, including three (of only about 150 in the country) interventional radiologists. These doctors use tiny tubes to deliver medication or remove abnormalities, often preventing an amputation and helping the most fragile babies.
Seeking to keep children at or close to home, we launched CareConnect, a pediatric telehealth app, allowing families access to Nemours board-certified physicians 24-7-365. This technology also allows live video consultation between our specialists and community physicians to determine the safest and best care.
Mindful of our responsibility to train the next generation of pediatric specialists, we received approval from the national governing body to launch our pediatric residency program. This should help alleviate shortages that force families to leave Florida to access care.
But that effort faces challenges. It relies on the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program, crucial federal funding to independent children’s hospitals that support the training of half the nation’s pediatric specialists. The funding for those who will care for children is less than half the federal investment in adult providers.
The CHA report concludes that helping children lead healthy lives is good for the child and provides tremendous benefits for society. Nemours’ 1,800 Central Florida associates are dedicated to finding solutions targeted at this “wake-up” call for Central Florida and beyond. We look forward to our continued work with and in the community to ensure children reach their full potential.