Weitzman Institute

June 11 is the inaugural International Day of Play, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly. International Day of Play is designed to emphasize the value of play for children’s development and physical and mental well-being. Prescription for Play (P4P) is committed to embedding guidance on the importance of play in child development into pediatric care across the country, ensuring every child is provided ample time, resources, safe spaces and the encouragement and freedom to play every day. Our team and so many other organizations are working to ensure caregivers and care teams alike understand this need and that any barriers to this fundamental right are eliminated. Thank you to all of our dedicated participants who work every day to promote play for children. Happy Day of Play! Learn more about the International Day of Play, here: internationaldayofplay.org and P4P and our research findings, here: https://lnkd.in/en7vnrDQ.

The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) enabled widespread access to psychiatric care through virtual visits by video and voice. In their new Health Affairs Forefront article, Weitzman Institute staff: Aleyah Johnson; Tonantzin E. Juarez; Jessica McCann; Rebecca L. Emery Tavernier and Community Health Center Chief Psychiatry Officer Tichianaa Armah, MD advocate for the permanent adoption and coverage of voice-based telepsychiatry and recommend measures to incorporate it into policies to promote equity. “Beyond improving accessibility to mental health care, voice-based telepsychiatry (VBT) simultaneously allows providers to offer treatment at their patients’ convenience, increase appointment flexibility, and reduce missed appointments or loss to follow-up. VBT offers a viable solution to promoting equitable access to psychiatry services, necessitating its adoption and coverage." Read the full article here: bit.ly/4bZd69h.

“Baltimore is a great American city, but like other great American cities, it faces challenges. Growing up here, I saw these challenges first-hand, yet also saw the creativity and resiliency of communities. Maybe that’s why I’ve focused my work on the health care safety net, particularly community health centers and other organizations that view health care as a right, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay,” wrote Weitzman Institute Senior Health Policy Analyst Jessica McCann, in a new Academy Health blog. Hear more from Jessica about Baltimore’s challenges and resiliencies. Read the blog post “The Charm City: Baltimore’s Communities Work to Improve Health and Well-Being,” here: bit.ly/4dMnfrz.

The 2024 Weitzman Virtual Symposium: Representation Matters was a powerful event, where the nation’s top thought leaders, researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs challenged, informed, and inspired us. Thank you to everyone who attended, and to our impactful speakers, Donald Warne, Hafeezah Muhammad, Dr. Deann Butler MHA, MBA, Christopher J. King, PhD, FACHE, Carlos Stringer Smith DDS MDiv, Annita Lucchesi, Sonja Diaz, Rashmi R. Rao, Irene Dankwa-Mullan MD MPH, Abner Mason, Sahee Abdelmomin. We hope you found the event energizing, informational, and inspiring. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you next year! #WeitzmanSymposium #HealthEquity #PrimaryCare

The 2024 Weitzman Virtual Symposium: Representation Matters is happening TODAY at 11AM ET/8AM PT! Registration for this year’s Symposium will remain open throughout the day – register to join us for this exciting, free event at any time. Register Today: https://chc1.co/3ycCrxF Up to 4.5 CE/CME credits will be available for event attendees at no cost. View the agenda, speaker lineup, and learn more about this year’s Symposium, where we will explore the pressing issues facing healthcare today, at https://chc1.co/4bfYd29 #WeitzmanSymposium #HealthEquity #PrimaryCare

The 2024 Weitzman Virtual Symposium starts Wednesday morning! If you haven't registered already, *there’s still time to join us for this free event, which offers up to 4.5 CME/CEs at no cost.* Mark your calendar for May 15, 2024 at 11AM ET/8AM PT. Register Today: https://lnkd.in/eWEsSWwN To learn more about event speakers and our exciting agenda, visit https://lnkd.in/eM5jyp8q   Please join us as we explore the pressing issues facing healthcare today, including Indigenous health, health justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and technology in the context of healthcare innovation through trans-disciplinary, patient- and community-affirming approaches to drive positive and sustainable change. #WeitzmanSymposium #HealthEquity #PrimaryCare

In their new Forefront article, Wildaline Figaro, Jessica McCann, and Tonantzin Juarez from the Weitzman Institute explore the potential role that community health workers (CHWs) can play in addressing the youth mental health crisis, summarize existing issues, and offer policy recommendations. "We are experiencing a youth mental health crisis, as illustrated by countless studies. The 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health found that 25.8 percent of children ages 3–17 have a reported mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral problem, yet only about half of children with an issue received treatment or counseling. Additionally, suicide rates among adolescents increased by 48 percent between 2011 and 2021, with disproportionately high increases among Black youth. Adolescents experiencing stigma, discrimination, and few social supports and services are at an even higher risk of mental health issues. These trends are not surprising given that many adolescents faced reductions in access to social supports, as well as primary and mental health services, during pandemic-related transitions to virtual schooling. Failing to address mental health issues during adolescence has consequences well into adulthood, affecting both physical and mental health and limiting a child’s opportunity to lead a fulfilling adult life." Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3USsz58

Representation Matters Session Spotlight: Afternoon Panel Representation Matters: The Role of Inclusive Health Tech in Health Care Register Today: https://lnkd.in/eZruCrG3 This year’s afternoon panel will engage a multidisciplinary group of leaders from the field to discuss recent developments in digital technology and implications on safety-net primary care practice. The discussion will explore how the SCOTUS reversal of race-based affirmative action has impacted inclusive representation in the health tech industry. Panelists will propose their policy, research, and practice recommendations for improving inclusion of safety-net primary populations, healthcare teams, and systems in ongoing advancements in healthcare tech. Our full lineup of acclaimed speakers in the afternoon panel includes: Moderator/Discussant: 🔹 Rashmi R. Rao, Managing Director, rcubed | ventures Panelists: 🔹 Irene Dankwa-Mullan MD MPH, Chief Health Officer, Marti Health; Affiliate Faculty Professor, The George Washington University- Milken Institute School of Public Health 🔹 Binoy Bhansali, CEO and Co-Founder, Diverge Health 🔹 Abner Mason Abner Mason, Founder and CEO, SameSky Health; Board Member, Manifest MedEx 🔹 Sahee Abdelmomin, Senior Associate, Virtual Health Team, Tulsa Innovation Labs ▶ The Symposium is free and CE/CME is available at no cost for nine disciplines. ▶ To register and view additional information, visit: https://lnkd.in/eFcy_iPM #WeitzmanSymposium #HealthEquity #PrimaryCare

Director of the Weitzman Institute, April Joy Damian, PhD, MSc, CHPM, PMP has been highlighted in a feature by Passion Vista - Magazine celebrating her as a vanguard of health equity among the magazine's "Women Leaders to Look Up to in 2024." We wholeheartedly agree withn this sentiment from the piece: "As we delve into the life and work of Dr. Damian, we are reminded of the power of resilience, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship, and the transformative impact of serving with love and grace. Her narrative is not just an inspiration but a call to action, inviting us all to contribute to a healthier, more equitable world." Read the complete story here: https://lnkd.in/eXpV6WN8

Become motivated by visionary leader and mompreneur, Hafeezah Muhammad.   Hafeezah Muhammad, CEO and founder of Backpack Healthcare (https://bit.ly/3QhuI7T) will deliver the afternoon keynote at the upcoming #WeitzmanSymposium, where she will guide us in understanding how centering patients’ and families voices and lived experiences can address critical societal issues, discuss the implications of representation in healthcare leadership on improving healthcare access and outcomes for marginalized populations, and will offer recommendations for recreating primary care systems to be more representative and inclusive of the populations they serve.    Register now for this free event: https://lnkd.in/eWDwme3h Hafeezah Muhammad has long championed efforts in understanding the transformative power of A.I. and embarked on a mission to revolutionize mental health support for children. Combining her expertise in mental health with cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence, she founded her company with a clear purpose: to provide children with personalized, empathetic, and effective mental health support. Her visionary leadership has catapulted her company to the forefront of the industry, setting new standards and paving the way for a more accessible and inclusive approach to mental wellness. To register and view additional information, visit: https://lnkd.in/eBi4-q6x   #WeitzmanSymposium #HealthEquity #PrimaryCare