PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

🎉 Congratulations to Joseph Whelihan on becoming a Doctors for America Gene A. Copello Health Advocacy Fellowship member! Dr. Whelihan, a PolicyLab Affiliate Trainee, will join 11 other fellows to build leadership and advocacy skills to improve the health of patients and communities. Kudos Joey!

Congratulations to our friends and colleagues over at the Vaccine Education Center on a successful launch! Check out their new video series on vaccines👇

🌐 PolicyLab Alumni Impact: Julia C. Ransom, Ph.D. We have many talented alumni whose experiences here led them to pursue exciting opportunities to continue the center’s mission beyond our walls. Today, Dr. Julia Ransom is the associate research director at Research for Action (RFA), where she brings her experience in applied education research to support strategic initiatives and research portfolios within the organization. In this role she leads research projects grounded in equity, cultural responsiveness, and community engagement to influence change in education systems, policy and practice. Dr. Ransom credits her time with PolicyLab for introducing her to a "more holistic view" of education as a social determinant of health. At PolicyLab, Dr. Ransom was a research associate on various projects at the intersection of education and public health. In particular, she managed a longitudinal study on high school graduation rates for the School District of Philadelphia. Through PolicyLab's evidence to action approach, Dr. Ransom also had the opportunity to experience the value of research for informing policy. Her team presented findings from their research to policymakers and made recommendations to improve educational policy. For Dr. Ransom, the core values and lessons of health equity she gained at PolicyLab are ones she has and will continue to "carry forward" throughout her career as she strives to ensure justice in education programs, policy and systems.

By the time they graduate high school, nearly all children in the U.S. have had personal experiences with #bullying. As students head #BackToSchool, PolicyLab and Center for Violence Prevention researchers are focused on ways we can equip educators, parents and students to prevent and address bullying in real time.

🍽️ New work reporting requirements are around the corner for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) starting September 1. It’s estimated that 800,000 kids live in households at risk of losing some access to critical food support offered by the program. Nearly 1 in 5 households with kids already struggle to put food on the table, and SNAP has proven to be an effective program for improving food security among children. In 200 words, Radha Pennotti breaks down what this means for children and families:

As kids head #BackToSchool, PolicyLab experts discuss supporting the health and well-being of youth as they return to school in a new video series. 👓 Dr. Kristine Fortin highlights a project led by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Fostering Health Program and PolicyLab professionals aimed at helping children in foster care access the vision care they need. ❤️🩹 Drs. Tracy Waasdorp and Brooke Paskewich discuss what they’ve learned from their research on anti-bullying efforts, and how their work aims to ensure students and staff in schools have the tools they need to understand and address bullying. 🍎 Dr. Samantha Turner breaks down 2024 research findings related to unintended consequences of school-based health and nutrition policies. Find the whole series here: https://lnkd.in/ejz_hnWg

As we say goodbye to summer and welcome a new academic year, we’re excited to continue introducing you to the incredible folks at PolicyLab. This month’s PolicyLabMate Spotlight shines on Kathryn Saulinas, PolicyLab’s multimedia manager—and the creative voice behind much of our social content. Learn more about Kathryn below: Is there a project or work-related accomplishment that you were/are directly involved with that you are proud to share with our audience? Our recent Medicaid video series has been a fun project to lead. It's allowed me to work with lots of folks across the center, flex some creative muscles, and learn a few new skills in the process. And it's an important message that felt rewarding to share in an engaging medium. If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would it be and why? Acadia National Park in Maine—it's been a while since I had a good "touch grass" moment and that sounds so peaceful this time of year. Big thank you to Kathryn for all her contributions to help PolicyLab continue to create healthier futures for kids!

What insurance-related challenges are young adult cancer survivors experiencing in a post Affordable Care Act (ACA) era? New research from Dr. Daniel Zheng tells us that many young survivors don't know how to seek help navigating insurance and have delayed or forgone care due to lack of understanding of their insurance plan. Read the research in JCO Oncology Practice: https://lnkd.in/e4DFDDd7 Want more? Dr. Zheng breaks down the findings in Oncology News Central. https://lnkd.in/e_V3AnJy

✨ We were honored to celebrate the unveiling of a new mural in West Philadelphia that centers Black girlhood, resilience and joy with our community partners We R.E.I.G.N. The mural is a visual representation of findings from a study on the impacts of adultification of young Black girls led by Daniela Brissett, MD, Tawanna Jones of We REIGN, and Dr. Nadia Dowshen, with support from a PolicyLab Community Partnerships in Research pilot project.   Dr. Brissett and Tanisha Belton, DrPH, MPH, program director for PolicyLab's Community Partnerships in Research Program, shared remarks at the event alongside project members, local community leaders and the mural's artist shanina dionna. Want more on this incredible initiative? 📰 Discover more about the incredible mission of We REIGN in The Philadelphia Inquirer's coverage of the event (🔗 : https://lnkd.in/eb-9XB58) 🔎 Find the qualitative study—and compelling video abstract created by We REIGN participants—in American Academy of Pediatrics Journal ( 🔗 : https://lnkd.in/engJgH8f) 🏙️ Visit the mural at the corner of Wallace and 41st Street