LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After many months of researching and exploring some of the most complex challenges facing children in a post-pandemic world, experts from L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated plan, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), one of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals, unveiled their first-ever Los Angeles County State of Children’s Health report. The report, made up of four policy briefs, identified core issues impacting kids and teens and key recommendations to proactively address them.
The report is the product of a roundtable held in November of 2023. Expert stakeholders broke into groups to create four distinct policy briefs and action plans. Recommendation highlights include establishing new school-based programs to improve mental health services within educational settings, launching an effort to dispel vaccine myths to improve children’s health, and addressing resource challenges that children and youth with complex chronic conditions and in the social welfare system experience in Los Angeles County and beyond.
“This important work brought together local health plan leaders, children's health advocates, educational experts, clinical specialists, and public health officials to collaboratively discuss ways to build on existing work locally, and create novel approaches to engage populations that have been historically under-resourced,” said Dr. Alex Li, Chief Health Equity Officer for L.A. Care Health Plan. “Because we had such a diverse group of advocates, the feedback we heard from the participants was that this is just the first of many opportunities to work collectively to find new ways to prioritize the health of our young people, and they are glad that L.A. Care and CHLA took the lead on this effort.”
L.A. Care and CHLA leaders recognized the increased mental health pressures placed on children as they suffered through social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that same period, amplification of misinformation around health spiked across the nation, adding to the stress that our young people endured.
“The policy recommendations address key issues affecting young people and provide models of care to improve health outcomes for vulnerable children, youth and their families,” says Mona Patel, MD, FAAP, Chief Integrated Delivery Systems Officer at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. “The roundtable participants presented diverse ideas, leadership and perspectives to address these complexities and we formed action plans with the goal to reduce the disparities in the health of children and youth from vulnerable populations across the county.”
Using the information provided by the children's health experts, Health Management Associates, an independent, national research firm specializing in publicly funded health care and human services policy, prepared four policy briefs with actionable solutions, including:
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Building Resiliency – How to improve the systems of care to improve wellbeing and address children’s mental health needs?
Among the Recommendations:
- Establish a dedicated school-based working group and a specialized county-focused department, designed to enhance mental health services within educational settings and increase cross-sector collaboration to facilitate effective triaging of behavioral health needs
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Vaccine Catch-Up and Misinformation – How to improve access to and provision of immunizations to promote children’s health?
Among the Recommendations:
- Create a resource repository accessible to partners and community members with digestible, up-to-date information about vaccine safety
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Supporting Children and Youth Involved in the Child Welfare System – How to improve the quality, appropriateness of support, and ease of access to care to address the unique needs of children involved in the child welfare system?
Among the Recommendations:
- Develop learning collaboratives and pilots to facilitate successful implementation of new Medi-Cal benefits for the child welfare population and explore and elevate strategies to promote local community-based agencies’ capacity to participate in Medi-Cal funded programs and services
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Children with Complex Medical Needs Transition to Adulthood – How to facilitate the continuation of critical support as children with complex medical and behavioral needs “age out of care” eligibility?
Among the Recommendations:
- Increase access to an appropriate care network, invest in the case management infrastructure, and improve communication and data exchange between pediatric and adult clinicians and systems
The four policy briefs were produced with support from First 5 LA, HealthNet, Molina and Health Management Associates. Video vignettes accompany the reports’ recommendations.
You can access the comprehensive reports and video series here.
About L.A. Care Health Plan
L.A. Care Health Plan is the largest health plan in Los Angeles County serving more than one of every four Angelenos. It is also the largest publicly operated plan in the country. L.A. Care offers four health coverage plans including Medi-Cal, L.A. Care Covered™, L.A. Care Medicare Plus and the PASC-SEIU Homecare Workers Health Care Plan, all dedicated to being accountable and responsive to members. As a public entity, L.A. Care’s mission is to provide access to quality health care for L.A. County's low-income communities, and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. L.A. Care prioritizes quality, access and inclusion, elevating health care for all of L.A. County. For more information, follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Founded in 1901, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is at the forefront of pediatric medicine and is the largest provider of hospital care for children in California. Children’s Hospital is home to renowned experts who work together across disciplines to deliver inclusive and compassionate care, and drive advances that set pediatric standards across the nation and around the globe. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles delivers a level of care that is among the best in the world for a truly diverse population of children. The Hospital is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll of Best Children’s Hospitals, including No. 1 in California and No. 1 in the Pacific U.S. region. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles embraces the hospital’s mission to create hope and build healthier futures. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is among the top 10 children’s hospitals for National Institutes of Health funding. The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles supports the full continuum of research, allowing physicians and scientists to translate discoveries into treatments and bring answers to families faster. The pediatric academic medical center also is home to one of the largest training programs for pediatricians in the United States. And the hospital’s commitment to building strong communities is evident in CHLA’s efforts to fight food insecurity, enhance health education and literacy, and introduce more people to careers in health care. To learn more, follow CHLA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, and visit CHLA.org/blog.
