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Improving Urban Health: Child WellnessThanks to the Comer Children’s Hospital Mobile Medical Unit, nurse practitioner Pamela Beauduy is able to bringvaccinations, physical exams and education to Chicago Public Schools students who don’t have access to medical care.University of Chicago MedicineHours before children pounded downthe hallways, nurses had transformedselected Chicago Public Schoolsclassrooms into medical clinics withboxes of surgical gloves and standsof immunization-ready needles.Students tiptoed into their classrooms with crumpled consentforms in their hands to receive their shots. Some recoiled atthe sight of needles, but, in the end, they got their shots.Unvaccinated children not only run the risk of contractinga serious illness but also put schools at risks of outbreaksof preventable diseases such as measles or whooping cough,explained Kenneth Alexander, MD, professor of pediatricsand principal investigator on the Promoting AdolescentHealth at School program. Common obstructions that keepchildren from getting vaccinated include hard-to-decipherMOBILE CLINICIMPACT2010–11 SCHOOL YEARconsent forms, fears about side effects or lack of time ormoney to take children to a health care professional.Because 86 percent of Chicago Public Schools students onthe South Side come from low-income households, Alexanderdeveloped a cost-efficient, in-school immunization model tobring vaccines to South Side children. Using federal fundsalready allocated for children’s vaccines, Alexander and histeam provide state-mandated vaccines so children can stay inschool and stay healthy.“I feel that everyone should have access to in-school clinics,”said Jennifer Burns, CPNP, APN, medical director of thePediatric and Family Travel Clinic.Burns runs a different Medical Center vaccine outreachprogram. In addition to vaccinating kids, she and her teamare now providing consultation services to schools aboutcommunicative disease policies, outbreak prevention, and anumber of other topics.121SITEVISITS2,000PEDIATRICPATIENTS SERVED10
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICESIt’s Tuesday morning, and the Comer Children’s Hospital Child Protective Services (CPS)team is in the hospital’s conference room with representatives from the Illinois Department ofChildren and Family Services and the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center. They gather eachweek to discuss potential cases of sexual and physical abuse, as well as neglect, in children.Those in attendance include Jill Glick, MD, a dedicated pediatrician and child abuse expert,who established CPS at the University of Chicago Medicine two decades ago to address theproblem of child maltreatment. As CPS medical director, Glick works alongside programmanager and social worker Lindsay Forrey, LCSW, and 10 licensed social workers to investigateand evaluate all possible child abuse and neglect cases seen in the hospital. Each year, more than400 children receive services from the CPS team.The staff also serves as a resource for the community on child welfare concerns and consultswith pediatricians on issues of abuse and neglect. The interdisciplinary team provides trainingand education for health professionals, local agencies and other community members.In 2000, Glick developed a model that called for more medical input in the assessment ofchild abuse for very young children. Because of her efforts, an expert medical review is nowmandated in Chicago for any child under age 3 with injuries that may signal abuse.This practice brings crucial expertise to community hospitals and child welfare agencies.“The program unites pediatric experts with child welfare professionals and law enforcementpersonnel to ensure all of these children receive comprehensive medical assessments, treatmentand follow-up care,” Glick said. “We want everyone involved in these cases to make the best,most informed decision.”“There’s a lot of false information out there,” Burns said.Vaccines have gotten better in the past few years, and childrenneed more vaccines to keep them safe and healthy, she added.The University of Chicago Medical Center’s mission ofpromoting wellness among children is a key element of soundpublic health practices, and its efforts extend beyond themedical campus. In addition to transforming schools intoclinics, the Medical Center uses a van to reach underinsuredand uninsured children from 2 to 18 years old.“This community outreach is rewarding because we provideservices that improve the health and future of our neighborhoodchildren and, thus, strengthen the community as a whole,” saidIcy Cade-Bell, MD, pediatrician and medical director for theMobile Medical Unit, which visits schools, day care centers,health fairs and other sites on the South Side.Felecia Morelon, CNA, senior program coordinator for themobile unit, described the 40-foot-long vehicle as a “clinic onwheels” that includes two fully equipped exam roomswhere three health care providers perform physicals,immunizations, treatment for acute injuries and illnesses,and health education sessions.During the 2010-11 school year, the mobile unit completed121 site visits and saw nearly 2,000 pediatric patients for clinicalcare and education on topics ranging from personal hygieneto sexually transmitted infections. Through the Teen Clinicand Foundations for the Future programs, 333 teens receivedconfidential adolescent services, sports physical exams, ormental health services. The Foundations for the Future programalso provides mental health education for students, parents,teachers and staff at Hyde Park Academy High School.“I have to turn down schools because we’re so in demand,”Morelon said, adding that the mobile unit has become evenmore important to families in need as the economy strugglesto recover from the recession. “For a lot of these kids, if theydidn’t see us, they wouldn’t have medical care.”400 CASESCONSULTED BY CHILD PROTECTIVESERVICES ANNUALLY2,843 CHILDRENVACCINATED AT THE MEDICAL CENTER’SIMMUNIZATION CLINIC AND AT SOUTH SIDESCHOOLS IN THE 2010–11 SCHOOL YEAR11
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Page 3 and 4: About UsThe University of Chicago M
Page 5 and 6: In fiscal year 2011,the University
Page 7 and 8: Improving Urban HealthSemeca Johnso
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Page 17 and 18: Volunteering in Our CommunityMya Ha
Page 19 and 20: Contributing to Global HealthDays a

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