In response to the pandemic, states rapidly established new funding mechanisms and implemented emergency regulations, many of which focused on telehealth. Policies that expanded the use of telehealth have had a significant and largely positive impact on children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and their families, but this shift has also highlighted disparities. Many low-income and rural families lack broadband access, the required technologies, safe locations to conduct private visits, or training on how to request or use telehealth.

Speakers will discuss their experiences with how telehealth flexibilities have affected CYSHCN, families, providers, and health systems. They will reflect on what is important to retain and how to apply lessons learned moving forward. We suggest attendees read the report COVID-19 Policy Flexibilities Affecting Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs prior to the event. Audience Q&A is highly encouraged.

Register

Report Author
Sharon Silow-Carroll, MSW, MBA is a Principal at Health Management Associates (HMA). She has 30+ years of experience in health care policy research and analysis – identifying barriers and assessing innovative initiatives to enhance quality, access, value, and coverage. She focuses on Medicaid, maternal and reproductive health, children and youth with special health care needs, and care management and coordination. Prior to joining HMA, she was Senior Vice President at the Economic and Social Research Institute. Sharon earned a master’s degree in business administration at the Wharton School, and a master’s degree in social work at the School of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania.

Speakers

Cara Coleman, JD, MPH is the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at Family Voices National and the author of “I am Justice, Hear Me Roar” about her daughter, Justice, with special health care needs and disabilities. She is an Instructor of Pediatrics at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. She is Associate Editor for Family Partnerships on the Executive Editorial Board of Pediatrics. In the past, Cara has worked as an adult health specialist, a case manager for homeless pregnant women, a counselor in a shelter for battered women, a law clerk for a judge, an immigration subject matter consultant, and an attorney serving low-income immigrants. Cara is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, has a Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University and a law degree from Temple University.

Alison Curfman, MD, MBA is a practicing Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician at Mercy Hospital St. Louis and serves as Clinical Director of Pediatric Operations for Mercy. She leads digital transformation in pediatrics with an emphasis on quality, equitable access to care, and value-based care. Dr. Curfman co-founded SPROUT, an international multi-center research network for pediatric telehealth research. She also is an executive committee member for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Telehealth Care. As a pediatrician with experience parenting her own four young children, Dr. Curfman aims to empower parents with knowledge to be advocates for their children.

Cheryl J. Roberts, JD is currently the Deputy Director of Programs and Operations at the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services where she provides executive level leadership and direction for the divisions that oversee managed care, services and operations, and program integrity for Medicaid/CHIP. She is experienced in a patient-centered, integrated model of care that includes maternal and child health, health care quality, oral and behavioral health, pharmacy and long-term services. Previously, Cheryl served as Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Vice President of Operations at two large health insurance organizations. Cheryl received her Juris Doctorate from Rutgers School of Law, and her B.A. in Sociology from the City College of New York.

Moderator
Ed Schor, MD is a pediatrician and an independent consultant providing advice on child health care systems and child health policy. Most recently he served as Senior Vice President at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. He has held senior positions with The Commonwealth Fund where he worked to improve preventive child health care, the Kaiser Family Foundation where he promoted the adoption of functional health status measurement, and with the Iowa Department of Public Health where he was Medical Director for Family and Community Health and Director of the Center for Public Health Policy. He has written extensively on the family context of child health.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) is a temporary Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to help eligible families and households who are struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides discounts on services and devices. Over 2.8 million households have already enrolled, but there are many more that qualify.

To help increase awareness about the EBB, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will be conducting a webinar for grassroots advocates, navigators, and others helping their local communities get connected. The webinar will cover program basics, a walk-through of the online application process, and resources available to help drive enrollment. It is free to attend, but you must register.

A recording of the webinar will be posted to USAC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit webinar and trainings page.

Webinar Registration

Please send your questions, comments and feedback to: lifelineprogram@usac.org

Research shows that support from adults can drastically cut a transgender youth’s risk of depression and suicide. Many professionals want to support their clients but lack the skills and knowledge needed to confidently navigate these complex topics. Taught by a psychologist who is both autistic and transgender, this webinar introduces the key concepts around gender identity as well as issues specific to the autistic community.

Course Objectives:

• Learn the terms and concepts needed to discuss gender identity accurately and respectfully
• Gain knowledge about gender identity issues specific to autism
• Acquire practical skills and strategies for helping gender-diverse autistic people

Who should attend:

• Professionals who wish to support gender-diverse clients from preschool through young adulthood and want to know more about the topic and/or how the issues specifically apply to autistic people.

Content level: Beginner

Clock hours: This program, when attended/viewed in full, offers 2 WA State approved clock hours. Additional fees apply. We are NOT approved providers for other CEUs. Certificates of completion will be provided after the completion of the webinar.

Instructor: Lucas Harrington, PsyD

WHERE: Webinar
COST: $56 per person, *10% off for groups of 5 or more
*Recording of live webinar available for viewing between July 13 and October 13, 2021.

More information and to register

This virtual event is an opportunity to highlight innovative life course intervention research in the six Research Nodes supported by the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P). This event will include asynchronous and synchronous elements including video presentations of e-posters that will be available for viewing one week in advance of the meeting, panel presentations, and individual virtual rapid-fire presentations with Q&A. Presentations will highlight the Healthy Weight Research Network, the Genetics Research Node of AIR-P, and multiple research projects from AIR-P Collaborating Research Entities. Agenda and access to videos will be available one week in advance of the meeting.

ABOUT AIR-P: 

In September 2020, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) assumed leadership of AIR-P under the direction of Dr. Alice Kuo. Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, the AIR-P is an interdisciplinary, multicenter research network for scientific collaboration and infrastructure aimed at increasing life expectancy and quality of life for autistic individuals, with a focus on underserved/vulnerable populations.  

AIR-P establishes and maintains an interdisciplinary, multicenter research network for scientific collaboration and infrastructure to increase the life expectancy and quality of life for autistic individuals, particularly for underserved and vulnerable populations. The purpose of the AIR-P is to support innovative life course intervention research that promotes optimal health and well-being of autistic individuals across the lifespan. The AIR-P envisions a future where autistic individuals experience optimal multi-dimensional health and well-being. More information about the AIR-P is provided at airpnetwork.ucla.edu 

PLEASE NOTE:

This meeting is open to all AIR-P and AUCD network members. You can register here 

 To join the AIR-P Network, click here to sign up for the monthly newsletter. 

The AIR-P Research Day is hosted by AUCD in collaboration with UCLA and HRSA. If you have questions, please contact Phil Maglo at AUCD. 

 This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the grant #UT2MC39440. The information, content and/or conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

King County Medical Society (KCMS) is offering both a CNE (Continuing Nursing Education- Sat, July 17th) and CME (Continuing Medical Education- Sat, July 24th) focused on Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning in collaboration with Public Health – Seattle & King County and UW Medicine. 

Each offering is FREE and worth 4.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Feel free to share these virtual events with your physicians and nurses distribution list.

CME Registration
CNE Registration

CNE Information (July 17)

CME Information July 24th:

Over half of individuals in the U.S. covered by Medicaid come from communities of color. The program also insures over 10 million people with disabilities. As a result, state Medicaid agencies and their partners can play a major role in advancing health equity and improving primary care for communities that experience inequities in care and services.

This webinar, made possible by The Commonwealth Fund, will explore how state health equity goals can be advanced by Medicaid-led efforts that promote equity through managed care programs, and at the provider level through initiatives supported by broader delivery system and payment reforms. The 60-minute event includes perspectives from Michigan’s Medicaid director and representatives from Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, a community health center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Health care policymakers, state officials, and other interested stakeholders are invited to join this event.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Kate Massey, State Medicaid Director, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Juan Jaime De Zengotita, MD and Thomas Kieffer, MPH, Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center

More information and to register

This webinar is part of a learning series from CHCS, Strengthening Primary Care through Medicaid Managed Care, which is examining the tools and levers that states can use to advance comprehensive primary care strategies and equitably improve the health of Medicaid enrollees. Learn more »

As awareness of autism increases, more and more people are wondering whether the diagnosis fits them. Many doctors,
therapists, case managers, and others find themselves speaking with patients who have self-identified as autistic or want a referral
for evaluation. This webinar will equip professionals to better navigate these discussions, including cases where autism does not
seem likely as well as cases where it does.

Course Objectives:
• Recognize how autism may present differently than the stereotypical image
• Be aware of barriers that limit adult access to formal autism evaluations
• Learn ways to best assist patients self-identified as autistic

Who should attend:

Medical, mental health, and other professionals whose
patients have brought up the possibility of autism

Instructor: Lucas Harrington, PsyD

WHERE;  Webinar
COST: $30 per person – *10% off for groups of 5 or more
*Recording of live webinar available for viewing between July 27 and October 27, 2021.

More information and to register