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QI and Advocacy

Quality Improvement

QI training is required for all residents. This is in the form of “QI School” which is a formal curriculum designed to train and educate residents on quality improvement initiatives and processes. Additionally we have QI M&M conferences to evaluate specific patient situations where quality improvement evaluations could improve future outcomes.

Advocacy Initiatives

Social Drivers of Health Curriculum: Monthly modules based on social determinants of health and similar factors that affect the health and well-being of patients discussed in continuity clinic. Focused on topics regarding American Academy of Pediatrics and screenings in the medical home. Two-pronged approach with initial focus on AAP guidelines, epidemiology, health outcomes, etc., then secondary focus on the impact on Memphis communities, resources, and interventions available to our patients. Producing residents who are informed, empathetic, and have the tools to provide necessary interventions for unique needs of their patients.

Advocacy Workshops: Promote effective communication and advocacy for children, social and traditional media training. Includes, monthly workshops based on AAP curriculum to orient residents and faculty to the legislative process, how to become a pediatrician advocate, how to communicate to legislators, policy makers, and the media. We also have sessions on working in the community and building community collaborative to effect change and build consensus.

TNAAP

Day on the Hill: Yearly event with the state AAP chapter to learn about pertinent pediatric topics and then travel to the State Capitol in Nashville to advocate on behalf of children and pediatricians to our state legislators.

Memphis CHiLD

A medical-legal partnership, including the University of Memphis School of Law, Memphis Area Legal Services, UTHSC Department of Pediatrics, and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. The partnership focuses on identifying the legal and social issues that impact patient health and provides means to address these issues through direct legal services, education, and advocacy for children and their families. Memphis CHiLD has served 350 families in 3 years.

Safe Sleep Initiatives

This project started with many physicians observing unsafe sleep practices in our hospital. Baseline data on safe sleep practices in our clinic were obtained, with results showing that safe infant sleep guidelines were not being routinely followed with every sleep. A working committee was formed to address gaps in safe infant sleep in our hospital and our community. We are creating a safe infant sleep policy for non-birthing children’s hospitals, developing educational materials, and working on legislative activities surrounding safe infant sleep promotion.

Firearm Safety Initiatives

Currently, Memphis has one of the highest of childhood firearm injuries in the country. Our residents have implemented an intervention to assess gun safety practices in the home, provide appropriate education, provide gun locks, and to perform follow up surveys to assess changes in storage practices. This is part of a larger gun safety initiative that the hospital and community at large is conducting.

Education has been provided to residents on the Be SMART initiative through our Community Pediatrics rotation and Advocacy Conferences. This framework is designed to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries.

Literacy

Literacy Day: Resident organized annual day to celebrate literacy. Every child in the hospital and in clinics receive a book. The day also consists of story times, literary characters, crafts, and promotion of community resources.

Reach Out and Read: The ULPS General Pediatrics clinic has a robust ROR program that is over 4 years old now, giving away over 2,000 books per year while recommending daily, shared reading practices to families and creating a culture of literacy promotion.

Community Pediatrics Rotations

  • Home visiting programs
  • Shelby County Health Department
  • Overview of community resources available to patients
  • Community trainings
  • School health screenings
  • Le Bonheur Early Intervention and Development: accompany therapists to homes, schools, and parenting classes

Family Resilience Initiative

ACEs and Social Determinants of Health Screening Program: Collaborative program with ULPS General Pediatrics Clinic and Le Bonheur Maternal-Child Programs to screen for ACEs and SDOH in order to provide effective wraparound services for patients and families. Work to prevent exposure to ACEs, provide resilience and effective buffers to those exposed, and mitigate the effects through appropriate trauma informed mental health and behavioral services. Work to address unmet social needs through community outreach coordinators and a robust community resource referral network.

Culinary Medicine Training

Our continuing medical education series provides physicians and other health professionals with evidence-based information on dietary education for patients. Important nutrition concepts are taught through hands-on cooking classes in a way that helps participants understand the practical dialogue they can have with their patients about lifestyle change. The program helps translate the literature for use in your day-to-day practice.

May 26, 2022