What is Equity in Pediatric Care?
Equity in pediatric care means providing fair and just access to healthcare services for all children, regardless of their background or circumstances. It involves recognizing and addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by different groups of children to ensure that every child receives the highest standard of care possible. Unlike equality, which aims to treat everyone the same, equity focuses on ensuring that each child has the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
What is Inclusion in Pediatric Care?
Inclusion in pediatric care refers to creating a healthcare environment where all children and their families feel welcomed, respected, and valued. It involves acknowledging and celebrating diversity, including differences in race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and abilities. Inclusion ensures that healthcare providers consider these differences when designing and delivering care, ensuring that every child has a voice and can access services that meet their specific needs.
Ensuring Equity and Inclusion in Pediatric Care
Ensuring equity and inclusion in pediatric care requires a multifaceted approach. All of our COPA pediatricians and Advanced Practice Providers are trained to recognize and address implicit biases and to understand the social determinants of health that impact children. We have policies and practices that promote equitable access to care, including language services, culturally competent care, patient advocates, billing advocates, and community outreach programs. Additionally, COPA’s hours and multiple locations allow us to be flexible and responsive to the needs of diverse populations, ensuring that every child can access the care they need when they need it.
Barriers to Equity in Pediatric Care
The Impact of Socioeconomic Factors
At COPA, we recognize that socioeconomic factors play a role in determining a child’s access to healthcare. Children from low-income families may face financial barriers that prevent them from receiving timely and appropriate care. These barriers can include the cost of medical services, lack of health insurance, and transportation issues. We have multiple teams and services available to help address these barriers. We have OHP assisters that can help with complex insurance sign-ups, we have a billing advocate that can help families navigate financial barriers, we have Community Health Workers that help with resources for food, transportation, and housing. Our aim is to ensure that we offer family-centered care that meets people where they are to ensure each child receives the highest level of care.
Geographical Disparities and Access to Pediatric Services
Geographical disparities also impact equity in pediatric care. Children living in rural or underserved areas may have limited access to healthcare facilities and specialized pediatric services. These geographical barriers can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment, negatively affecting a child’s health and well-being. Addressing these disparities requires targeted interventions, such as telemedicine, which we offer both for medical and behavioral health visits. We also have clinics in 4 locations across Central Oregon, and offer extended hours to help working families.
Initiatives and Strategies for Promoting Equity in Healthcare
Promoting equity in healthcare involves implementing a range of initiatives and strategies. These can include policy changes at the national and local levels to ensure equitable funding and resource allocation for pediatric services. COPA participates in advocacy groups both at the state and national level to work to improve policies that affect the health of children. Community-based programs that address the social determinants of health, such as nutrition, education, and housing, are also crucial. We work closely with Central Oregon Health Council to help support and coordinate with local community organizations serving these critical areas.
How Does COPA Define Health Equity?
COPA (Children’s Organization for Pediatric Advocacy) defines health equity as ensuring that all children have the opportunity to achieve their full health potential without facing obstacles related to their social position or other socially determined circumstances. COPA is committed to promoting health equity through advocacy, education, and the implementation of evidence-based practices that address the unique needs of children from diverse backgrounds.
For more information on COPA’s values and initiatives, please visit their About page.
By prioritizing equity and inclusion in pediatric care, we can create a healthcare system that truly serves all children, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to lead a healthy, fulfilling life.