Pediatric Population Health Initiative

The Pediatric Population Health Initiative was born out of a vision to promote healthy communities. Its mission is to enhance the health and safety of children, families and their communities through collaborative, novel, evidence-based, population-level interventions.

Promoting Healthy Communities

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The Pediatric Population Health Initiative is a large undertaking and requires a multi-disciplinary approach to make meaningful and sustainable change in communities throughout Greater Houston. The team includes medical professionals, researchers, coordinators, nonprofit partners and other community leaders. This team has identified several key topics to address and investigate through the use of strategic work groups:

Social Determinants of Health

Workgroup Co-chairs: Ashley Gibson, MD; Yen-Chi Le, PhD

Sub-workgroup chairs: Zoabe Hafeez, MD; Sheela Gavvala, DO, FAAP

Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), also known as Non-Medical Drivers of Health (NMDoH), are conditions that influence a person’s health outcome. Examples of SDoH are transportation needs, food insecurity, housing stability, financial resource strain, legal needs and health literacy. This workgroup conducts SDoH screenings in both inpatient and outpatient settings to connect patients to appropriate community resources.

Projects:

Building the Bridge between Health and Health Care: SDoH inpatient and outpatient screening
AIM-AHEAD (external link): Ethical Implications and AI-Driven Solutions for Reducing No-Show Rates in Pediatric Outpatient Care

Community Resource Coordination

Workgroup Co-chairs: Monica Kodakandla, MD; Heidi McPherson, MPH

This workgroup aims to improve care coordination and access to community resources. The Center for Healthy Communities (external link), through the School of Public Health at UTHealth Houston, is the main driver of this work.

Child Nutrition

Workgroup Chair: Christine Markham, PhD

This workgroup aims to improve health outcomes among children through strategies and interventions focused on nutrition.

Partners include Brighter Bites (external link) and UT Physicians Produce Rx Program (external link).

Medical-Legal Partnership

We partner with Lone Star Legal Aid (external link) to provide legal resources to help our pediatric patients and their families address health-harming legal needs that may prevent them from living healthy and safe lives.

Workgroup Co-chairs: Ebony Beaudoin, MD; Jemima John, PhD, MPH

Injury Prevention and Outreach

Led by Injury Prevention and Outreach Education Coordinator Marisol Nieves, LCSW

We partner with UT Physicians to take a proactive approach to injury prevention through community outreach and education.

Violence Intervention

Led by Senior Program Manager Eresha Bluth, MHA

The Houston Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP) offers comprehensive services to connect victims of firearm violence with community-based support.

Physical Activity

Workgroup Co-chairs: Andrea Ramirez Varela, MD, PhD, MPH; Christopher Kulesza, PhD

Upcoming project:

Futbolito For All: Supporting Active Lifestyles for Latino Children in Galena Park; a partnership with the Houston Dynamo and Dash Charities, Inc. (external link), and the Rice University Child Health Policy Program (external link)