A group of children’s hospitals will coordinate on the response to future pandemics and other disasters through a $29 million grant from HRSA https://www.hrsa.gov.
The Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN) is going to focus on challenges to children not only during pandemics and disasters, but also ensure that health equity is at the forefront of emergency planning.
The hospitals include Children’s National Hospital Washington https://childrensnational.org (lead institution) located in D.C., Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics at Children’s of Alabama, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, and Seattle Children’s.
According to Joelle Simpson, M.D, PI for this grant and Division Chief of Emergency Medicine, and Medical Director of Emergency Preparedness at Children’s National, “Communities of color not only feel the impact of pandemics and disasters far more severely than others, but also have more difficulty obtaining aid and assistance.”
Hospitals recognize that while the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating, the pediatric population has been challenged by a lack of established coordination among pediatric care providers.
In addition to addressing health equity, the funding will:
- Establish pathways to gather and disseminate research-informed insights into how to care for children in a future pandemic to both medical providers and community organizations
- Develop a telehealth infrastructure to support the care of acutely ill children and expand mental health access
- Expand pediatric-focused emergency preparedness and planning with a focus on behavioral health, social support, and educational services
The hub for this grant will be located at the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus, https://research/research-and-innovation-campus in D.C., the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C