November 11, 2015
Contributed Art/CHOP PolicyLab
The CHOP PolicyLab aims to improve health care delivery, public systems and child health outcomes in collaboration with practitioners, families and policymakers.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the nation's first pediatric hospital, was recently honored with the Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association of the American Medical Colleges (AAMC), held in Baltimore on Nov. 8.
CHOP's selection comes in recognition of the hospital's longstanding institutional commitment to programs that go beyond the traditional role of academic medicine to serve communities on the margins of the current health delivery system, according to a news release.
“The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is doing vitally important work to help the city’s most vulnerable children become healthy adults,” said Darrell G. Kirch, MD, president and CEO of the AAMC. “The community health programs at CHOP not only promote good health in underserved neighborhoods but tackle the systemic inequities that contribute to health disparities, such as poverty and educational inequality."
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Among the programs identified during the awards reception was CHOP's Community Pediatrics and Advocacy Program (CPAP), a curriculum for medical residents, child and family advocates, and community partners to promote the well-being of kids on a city, state, regional, and national level. The Career Path program, which provides professional counseling for adolescents with chronic illnesses and disabilities, was also noted along with the Violence Prevention Initiative carried out in partnership with Philadelphia schools to address bullying, domestic violence and assault.
“Our commitment to children extends well beyond the walls of our facilities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey," said Madeline Bell, CHOP's president and CEO. "The programs for which we are being recognized, including those at the community-based Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pediatric Care Center, and many others like them, exist because we have a dedicated team of employees committed to improving the health and wellness of children. They are most deserving of this national recognition, and I could not be prouder of our work in the community.”
With more than 150 years serving the greater Philadelphia area, CHOP continues to expand its service record through the CHOP Cares Community Grants program, an incubator for staff to propose solutions, and the CHOP Research Institute, which houses the interdisciplinary PolicyLab to promote the welfare of youth.
In 2016, CHOP will launch a South Philadelphia program in partnership with City of Philadelphia's Department of Public Health, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Free Library of Philadelphia. The unique city-hospital collaboration will include a pediatric clinic, a full-service community health center and a modern recreation center with a playground and green space.
Residents throughout the Philadelphia region – from high school students to adults with friendly pets – can also participate in CHOP's volunteer programs. Those who wish to be of service to patients and their families, in both clinical and nonclinical areas, can learn about volunteer opportunities here.
