Pathway Rotations & Opportunities

Child Health Advocacy and Public Policy Pathway

List of Rotations

Child Health Advocacy Institute (CHAI) Elective

This 3-4 week block focuses on community and legislative level advocacy. The resident will be paired with a local or national advocacy organization or government agency to focus on a specific child health advocacy issue.  The rotation offers an inside look at the workings of an advocacy organization or government agency and offers the resident a chance to contribute to the work.  Residents will work with the organization or agency to research a child health issue and produce a project that reflects their work.  Examples of projects include blog series, policy papers, issue briefs, newsletter articles, or literature reviews for grant proposals. Please contact the CHAI at least 8 weeks in advance to set up the elective.

Duration: 4 weeks; can also be offered for 3 weeks in conjunction with the Global Health Course

Contact: Dr. Danielle Dooley dgdooley@childrensnational.org; Please contact at least 2 months prior to elective time

Units: 1.0 (0.75 for 3 week rotation)

Government Affairs Elective

This 2-4 week block focuses on legislative level advocacy. The resident will work with the Government Affairs team at Children’s National, and be involved in Virginia, Maryland, DC and federal level advocacy. Activities can include researching child health issues, reviewing bills related to child health, helping to prepare and possibly deliver written and/or oral testimony and attending other legislative meetings.

Duration: 2-4 weeks

Contact: Jennifer Porter jlporter@childrensnational.org and Dr. Danielle Dooley dgdooley@childrensnational.org

Units: 0.5 – 1.0

Media and Public Relations Elective

This 2-week block focuses on child health communications, including traditional media, social media and online presence and physician relations. Activities will include the development of written and social media communications, participation in Children’s National Public Relations and Marketing activities and independent learning. The resident will work closely with the Children’s National Public Relations and Marketing team.

Duration: 2 weeks

Contact: Tucker Petty, Senior Marketing Specialist (TPetty@childrensnational.org) and Dr. Danielle Dooley dgdooley@childrensnational.org

Units: 0.5

Immigrant Health Elective

The immigrant Health Elective is a 2-4 week block elective available to all residents. Residents will see patients at one or many available primary care sites that serve large populations of immigrants and children of immigrants. During this elective, residents can also work with a medico-legal partnership, work with community health workers, health educators and care coordinators at the clinic sites, as well as the local community-based organizations. Opportunities to work with the DC Department of Refugee Health may also be available. Residents will complete an online case-based curriculum during the elective.

Duration: 2-4 weeks

Contact: Dr. Nathalie Quion nquion@childrensnational.org and Dr. Daniel Newman dnewman@childrensnational.org

Units: 0.5 – 1.0

Environmental Health Elective

This elective is designed to familiarize the resident about the scientific and public policy aspects of children’s environmental health. Residents will review introductory material about children’s health and the environment (AAP’s Handbook of Pediatric Environmental Health. Landrigan & Etzel (eds) Oxford Textbook of Children’s Environmental Health). Residents will choose a pediatric environmental health topic and purse a detailed literature search. Meetings with public officials in the legislative and executive branches of government will be arrange so that students learn about the public policy and advocacy aspects of children’s environmental health. Residents will produce and be evaluated on the basis of a product created during the course. Examples include paper, fact sheets or other educational materials, a video production or other materials. An oral presentation will be made about the product released.

Duration: 2-4 weeks

Contact: Dr. Jerome Paulson jerry@envirohealthdoctor.com

Units: 0.5 – 1.0

The Advanced Medical Home and Community Leadership

In this 4 week elective, the resident will develop skills to advance the medical home model to improve health outcomes for underserved children as well as learn to be a leader in the community to advance child health. Activities range from working in the Mobile Medical & Dental Units in SE, special population clinics, Early Childhood Innovation Network, DC Mental Health Access Project, and much more. The resident will also be able to participate in community outreach activities at THEARC and shadow the DC AAP Executive Director at local partner meetings. There is an optional longitudinal project that the resident can participate in with other Community Track Residents to develop into a presentation/publication. Must notify rotation director before start of Academic year (June) if the resident wants to participate in the longitudinal project.

Duration: 4 weeks

Contact: Dr. Ankoor Shah anshah@childrensnational.org

Units: 1.0

Community Building Blocks

During this 4 week block (typically offered to Community Health Track residents) offer an opportunity to learn about communities and social determinants of health, locally and broadly. The topic areas that are covered include: poverty and health; adverse childhood experiences; schools and education; and neighborhood and built environment. Non-CHT participation is at the discretion of rotation leadership

Duration: 4 weeks

Contact: Dr. Cara Lichtenstein clichten@childrensnational.org and Dr. Binny Chokshi bchokshi@childrensnational.org

Units: 1.0

Health Policy/Advocacy REACH Project

REACH projects which address a child health advocacy or public policy topic are eligible for pathway credit. Requires review by CHAPP Pathway faculty member before the project begins and every 6 months thereafter to ensure project meets criteria for pathway. Exceptions can be granted for PL-3s in their first year of the Pathway, in which projects can be reviewed retroactively.

Duration: n/a

Contact: CHAPP Pathway Faculty, REACH mentor

Units: 2.0

Health Policy Fellowship

The Residency Fellowship in Health Policy (RFHP) is a 3-week course offered by the George Washington University Department of Health Policy twice a year. The goal of the RFHP is to provide residents with an understanding of US health policy and its implications for medical practice and health care in the US. By the end of the fellowship, participants will have received a basic grounding in key aspects of US health policy and law through intensive seminars designed to build knowledge across the many fields of health policy, including health care access, financing, regulation, quality, disparities, education and workforce policy, public health protection and health law. Participants will also witness health policy-making first hand, through field trips to a variety of health policy-making settings, including Congress, federal agencies, professional associations and local health delivery sites. In these settings, participants will have the opportunity to meet with policy professionals involved in many of today’s critical debates and decisions. Finally, participants will learn and apply fundamental principles of health policy analysis in simulations designed to mirror real-world challenges in health policy. Currently, this is available to non-Community Health Track residents on a limited basis, and requires planning in the academic year prior.

Duration: 3 weeks

Contact: Dr. Cara Lichtenstein CLichten@childrensnational.org, Pediatric Chief Residents

Units: 0.75  

Global Health Course

The Introduction to global Child Health course is a one week, intensive elective providing a broad introduction to child health in developing countries. At least 80 percent attendance is required. The course includes didactic lectures, clinical case presentations, small group discussions and a lab practicum. Speakers are drawn from CNMC faculty as well as global health experts working with USAID, Save the Children, and other organizations and local universities. This course is also available as an independent study reading elective for residents who cannot attend in person. Notably, this experience is available to non-Community Health Track residents on a somewhat limited basis, and requires planning in the academic year prior.

Duration: 1 week

Contact: Drs. Lineo Thahane LThahane@childrensnational.org, Kathy Ferrer KFerrer@childrensnational.org,  and Melanie Anspacher MAnspach@childrensnational.org

Units: 0.25

Subspecialty Advocacy Elective

The resident will identify a pediatric subspecialty of their choice and develop an advocacy or policy project or identify a policy issue that would benefit from supervision and input from a pediatric subspecialist.  CHAPP Faculty will assist with identifying a subspecialist working on the relevant policy at the local or federal level.  The resident will submit a written description of the advocacy/policy project aim including 3 learning objectives and 1 action item. The project at the end of the rotation should include one or many of the following: blog posts, letter to the editor, patient level advocacy project, testimony, social media campaign, etc.

Duration: 2 – 4 weeks

Contact: Dr. Danielle Dooley dgdooley@childrensnational.org and Dr. Alexandra Sims amsims@childrensnational.org

 Units: 0.5 – 1.0

Primary Care Advocacy Elective

Residents will identify an advocacy issue in their continuity clinic, and work with their clinic preceptor and CHAPP faculty to develop an approach. The resident will submit a written proposal of the project aim including 3 learning objectives and 1 action item , and by the end of the rotation, have a patient or community level advocacy project deliverable, which could include a series of blog posts, letter to the editor, educational campaign for clinic, social media campaign, etc.

Duration: 2-4 weeks

Contact: Dr. Danielle Dooley dgooley@childrensnational.org and Dr. Alexandra Sims amsims@childrensnational.org and Continuity Clinic faculty

Units: 0.5 – 1.0

P-PHAC

This longitudinal curriculum is comprised of 5 sessions during noon conference throughout the academic year, along with a legislative advocacy day on Capitol Hill or City Council. Residents are expected to complete 3 requirements:

(1) attend every noon conference or, if unable to be there in person, listen to the recorded conference;

(2) complete one of the “continuing education” activities suggested at the end of each lecture; and

(3) attend the legislative advocacy day, or if unable to be there in person, discuss other options with the faculty contact

Duration: 5 conferences and Resident Hill Day

Units: 0.25

Contact: Dr. Danielle Dooley dgdooley@childrensnational.org and Dr. Alexandra Sims amsims@childrensnational.org

Advocacy Conference Attendance

Residents who attend local or national advocacy-related conferences (AAP Legislative Conference, Residents on the Hill, for example) can be awarded up to 0.25 points.

Duration: variable

Units: 0.25

Contact: Dr. Danielle Dooley dgdooley@childrensnational.org and Dr. Alexandra Sims amsims@childrensnational.org

Self-Study Program

The resident will develop 3 personal learning objectives and a timeline for completion specifically for self study.  Deliverables include a disseminated product (which could be a REACH OR QI project) and a reflection piece completed at the end of the pathway which will address objectives completed during self study time.   In addition, they will complete a selected group of core curricular readings and online lectures. Additionally, the resident will attend a variety of special events, meetings and/or trainings focused on child health advocacy and/or public policy. The resident will be required to select a faculty member from the Child Health Advocacy and Public Policy Pathway as a mentor for this self-study program, track attendance at events, and write a total of 1 reflective blogs to be posted on Resident Book.

Duration: n/a

Contact: Dr. Danielle Dooley dgdooley@childrensnational.org and Dr. Alexandra Sims amsims@childrensnational.org

Units: up to 2.0

Legislative Testimony

There are often opportunities to testify in DC, MD, VA or on Capitol Hill.  The resident can help with background research on the testimony and writing the testimony.  Deliverables include the testimony document and video/audio link, if available. 

Duration: n/a

Contact: Dr. Danielle Dooley dgdooley@childrensnational.org and Dr. Alexandra Sims amsims@childrensnational.org; must coordinate with Government Affairs if testifying on behalf of Children’s National or DC AAP if testifying on behalf of DC AAP

Units: 0.25 per testimony