The Children's Health Fund works with lawmakers across the nation to protect and strengthen the health care safety and to foster better access to care by children in medically underserved areas.
The Children's Health Fund supports a number of legislative initiatives to protect the health care safety net.
Memorandum in Support of S.747, the Children’s Express Lane to Health Coverage Act, a measure to streamline the enrollment process for Medicaid and SCHIP by removing administrative barriers
Memorandum in Support of S.1262, the Health Technology to Enhance Quality Act of 2005 that will ensure that providers of healthcare to the medically underserved have access to health information technology
Memorandum in Support of S.1049, a measure to support outreach and enrollment of eligible children under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program
Memorandum in Support of S.1303/H.R.3055., the MediKids Health Insurance Act, a measure to provide health insurance coverage for all children born after December 31, 2006, in a program modeled after Medicare
Memorandum in Support of S.537/H.R. 1106, the Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act, a measure that addresses the dire mental health crisis in the United States by increasing the number of trained mental health service professionals, school based mental health professionals and providing clinical mental health care to children and adolescents
Memorandum in Support of S.1074, the Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention America Act, a measure to support comprehensive health promotion and wellness to prevent childhood obesity
Memorandum in Support of S.799, the Prevention of Childhood Obesity Act, a measure to ensure greater coordination to address childhood obesity
Memorandum in Support of S.1104, the Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act, which would give states the option of providing health coverage under Medicaid to pregnant women who are lawfully present in the U.S., and to children under either Medicaid or SCHIP
Memorandum in Support of S.4944, a measure to support the adoption of health information technology by health care providers
Memorandum in Support of A.6199/S4979, a measure to provide premium assistance for health insurance under Family Health Plus and Medicaid
Memorandum in Support of A.6890, a measure to establish outreach programs targeted at immigrants on the availability of health care services in the state
Memorandum in Support of A.2912, Timothy’s Law establishes mental health parity in the state
Memorandum in Support of A.5763, a measure to report a child’s body mass index (BMI) on report cards
November 2006, The Children’s Health Fund will host a Policy Breakfast Roundtable, New Citizenship Documentation Requirements for Medicaid Applicants: What does it mean for New Yorkers Accessing Coverage and Care? This is the third in a series of Breakfast Roundtables.
December 2006, The Children’s Health Fund will host the New York City Child Health Forum at CHF’s headquarters in Harlem, NY. The topic of discussion will be childhood asthma; the epidemiology of the disease, environmental factors and public policy to address prevention and treatment.
For more information, please contact us at advocacy@childrenshealthfund.org
On June 15, 2006 The New York City Child Health Forum was held at to address the rising importance of electronic health records in the delivery of care to special populations, including homeless families and children. The Forum’s keynote speaker C. William Schroth, Chairman, New York State Intergovernmental Health Information Technology Work Group, New York State Department of Health, spoke of efforts in New York State to implement electronic health records.
On June 13, 2006, the Children’s Health Fund (CHF) held a legislative reception for lawmakers and their staff in Albany, NY. Electronic health records (EHR) have long been a part of the "medical home" model of health care advocated by CHF. Calling on lawmakers to support initiatives that promote widespread adoption of EHR, CHF seeks to ensure that this technology will increasingly be within reach of health care providers that serve predominantly medically underserved children and families.
On March 30, 2006, The Children’s Health Fund’s Policy Breakfast series continued with Healthy Outcomes for Children in Foster Care. CHF’s Policy Breakfasts bring together community leaders and clinical experts on pertinent health care topics. The Breakfast examined the barriers that foster children in New York City face when trying to access health care services. Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester presented her findings on the topic. To access her presentation, click here.
New York City Child Health Forum, December 6, 2005
Addressing the Challenge of Pediatric Obesity: Building Blocks for a Healthy Childhood
Keynote speaker Dr. Joseph W. Thompson, MD, MPH, of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement presented his state’s experience with implementing body mass index (BMI) reporting on children’s report cards. Through break out sessions, forum participants explored such topics as the role of safe parks in active lives, community food options and why they matter, and clinical guidelines for comprehensive care for childhood obesity.
To access the presentation made by Alison Farina, Government and Community Affairs Director, and Maura Lout, Research Director, New Yorkers for Parks, click here.
To access the presentation of Hannah Burton, Senior Associate, The Food Trust, click here. To access the presentation of Dr. Marian Larkin, MD, Clinical Co-Director, and Roy Grant, Research Director, The Children’s Health Fund, click here.To access the presentation of Dr. Joseph Thompson, click here.
July 2005
On July 26, 2005, The Children's Health Fund hosted its first Child Health Forum, Quality Health Care for Homeless Youth: Examining Barriers to Care, at our new space in Harlem, New York. The wide ranging needs of homeless youth were addressed by panelists Michael C. Clatts, PhD, Director of the Institute for International Research on Youth at Risk and Associate Professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; Alan Shapiro, MD, Senior Medical Director of Community Pediatrics, The Children's Health Fund and The Children's Hospital at Montefiore; and Denise Torres, LMSW, MSWAC, CCJSC, Director of Social Services, Care for the Homeless.
Presenting the city's response to homeless youth was New York City Council Member Alan Gerson, whose advocacy on behalf of homeless youth includes securing funding for emergency and transitional shelter beds for fiscal year 2005-2006. Speakers and participants discussed the need for not only increased shelter beds but enhanced health and social services for children and adolescents caught in a street culture and economy that preys on their vulnerabilities.
The forum concluded with recommendations including: expanding insurance coverage for homeless youth, developing supportive housing, and increasing the number of clinic and walk-in locations whose confidential and culturally appropriate environments provide security for homeless youth.
To access Dr. Michael Clatts' presentation, click here.
To access Dr. Alan Shapiro's presentation, click here.
To access Denise Torres' presentation, click here.
To access CHF's White Paper on homeless adolescents, click here.
May 2005
The Children's Health Fund, as represented by Sandra Goldsmith, Registered Dietician and Director of Nutrition Services, testified before the New York State Assembly Public Hearing on Food and Nutrition Policy. Based in CHF's comprehensive programs that serve homeless families in the New York City shelter system and low-income, housed families at our community health center in the South Bronx, the testimony highlighted the struggle many families face when trying to eat healthy.
If you would like a copy of Ms. Goldsmith's testimony, please email advocacy@childrenshealthfund.org
