The Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment and district survey results

A kindergarten student at a school dental screening.

In 2005 California legislators passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1433 to create the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) to help improve student health and strengthen efforts to reduce absenteeism. However, the assembly bill needed additional funding and infrastructure to realize a successful implementation. Then in 2018, KOHA was amended with the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 379, which allowed for onsite screening with an opt-out consent option for parents with the goal to screen more children and identify which children need urgent care and find them a dental home. With oral screenings made available at the schools, officials can now improve data collection to measure the success of oral health prevention and intervention programs.

Why California Needs the KOHA

A 2020 Smile Survey found that by the time Los Angeles County’s children enter kindergarten, almost half have experienced tooth decay. In addition, almost 20% or 43,500 kindergartners and 3rd graders experience severe tooth decay. On any given day more than 4,500 Los Angeles County kindergarten and third-grade children need urgent dental care, which means they may be experiencing mouth pain or a serious infection. If left untreated, tooth decay can affect essential aspects of daily living, including eating, speaking, and performing at home, school, or work. Children with poor oral health miss more school and receive lower grades than those with better oral health. Early dental care plus regular and consistent prevention are key to improving the oral health and overall health of children in Los Angeles County. This highlights the need for ongoing screening, referral, and case management services in schools that serve children at greatest risk.  

The L.A. Trust and the KOHA District Survey Project

Last year The L.A. Trust partnered with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Oral Health Program to survey how 28 school districts with the largest elementary enrollments in L.A. County are reporting and collecting KOHA project. The culmination of that research was shared by The L.A. Trust in person and via Zoom on May 16, 2022, at the Endowment Center in Los Angeles with L.A. Unified, L.A. County and Smile California. The L.A. Trust shared key findings from the survey that highlighted best practices, challenges of gathering the necessary data, and recommendations on how to improve reporting to capture accurate and timely data.

This study analyzed the implementation of KOHA in 28 of the largest school districts in Los Angeles County, including the 574,570 students enrolled in LAUSD. This is the total number of students enrolled in LAUSD, not just the kindergartners. This information will be used to improve reporting, and support districts and families to receive more oral health care as the effort progresses.  Understanding the reporting mechanism will help schools focus on how to efficiently streamline reporting data to the state and use it to improve children’s oral health. The L.A. Trust also looked at the reporting mechanisms and promotion strategies of the 28 school districts.

There are layers of complexity when it comes to optimizing the implementation of KOHA in Los Angeles County.  L.A. County is the largest county in the United States, with 88 cities and 80 school districts, including the second largest city in the nation, and the second largest school district. The county is also one of the most diverse regions of the country where one third of the residents are immigrants and an estimated 185 languages and dialects are spoken. In addition, the need is critical: surveys show that 47 percent of the county’s children may have experienced tooth decay by kindergarten.

Challenges with the System for California Oral Health Reporting

KOHA data should be entered into and managed by the System for California Oral Health Reporting (SCOHR). Today data is collected via paper forms distributed to parents through various channels. While many districts distribute the forms in enrollment packets, survey results indicate that the best results come after an in-person consultation or a presentation.

Most school districts surveyed reported that their student oral health data is housed in either paper forms or in spreadsheets. If KOHA data is uploaded in the system, it is entered manually and not automated. Many districts reported that SCOHR does not work as advertised and that the system displays severe undercounts that do not reflect the data put into the system. A majority of districts also reported that school staff lack the training on how to use the system properly.

Recommendations for Improvement

Below are the recommendations unveiled by The L.A. Trust in the KOHA convening on May 16.

1.       Update the SCOHR reporting system.

2.       Improve and standardize the Oral Health Reporting form. A scannable form matched to a state scanning system would obviate the issues with the SCOHR reporting system.

3.       Increase the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s support of KOHA data submission. 

4.       Until other reporting system improvements are made, train and assist districts to submit summary information from their data systems into the SCOHR system.   

5.       Provide materials and training to districts and schools to improve oral health support to families. 

6.       Provide training and support to assist school districts in utilizing dental partnerships to screen students and assist them in obtaining a dental home.

School readiness is much more than attending to children’s early learning and cognitive development. 2021 marked the inaugural launch of the district survey on KOHA data collection, and we look forward to working with our partners to ensure that we gather the most accurate and comprehensive information available. The L.A. Trust will continue to create opportunities to partner with communities, local schools, and health officials to improve data collection systems and processes. Children’s oral health is a pillar issue that impacts the overall health of the student as well as their performance in school. Ultimately it affects family finances as well as school and community economics. Through schools and local health advocates working together, we can promote oral health and put children on a path to wellness and academic success. There is no better investment in the future than supporting the health and well-being of our children.

Project Leader: Casey Balverde, Data and Research Analyst at The L.A. Trust

Salute to Student Health: an event to remember

The L.A. Trust Salute to Student Health event 2022. Photo credit by Rinzi Ruiz Photography.

On September 29 more than 200 healthcare providers, educators and civic leaders gathered in-person at Vibiana, Downtown Los Angeles and online for The L.A. Trust’s second annual Salute to Student Health. The gala raised awareness and funds for student health and honored Dr. Barbara Ferrer with The L.A. Trust Champion Award and Dr. Jeanne Pritzker with the L.A. Trust Visionary Award. Both were honored for their leadership and commitment to the health and lives of our students and communities.

Executive Director Maryjane Puffer and Board President Brandon Burris.

Brandon Burris, board president of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, noted that “Two of the most pressing challenges our students face are mental health and oral health.” Burris said, “These issues are not going away. In some cases, they are getting worse. And that is the real reason why we are here tonight – to bridge the gap between education and health, and to shrink these statistics so that we can provide the safest and healthiest path forward for our children.” He then thanked all our evening sponsors and introduced Executive Director Maryjane Puffer.

“As we move through 2022, we continue to seek ways to increase access, equity, and awareness, as well as to bring high-quality healthcare services to the students we serve,” said Puffer. “It has been an extraordinary year despite the challenges, and we look forward to strengthening our partnerships with all of you,” she said.

Puffer acknowledged our research partners and the staff at the Federally Qualified Health Centers, who provide crucial care to students through the Wellness Centers. “The staff at these clinics went above and beyond during the height of the COVID-19 crisis,” she said, “and they continue to do so, serving students and families despite the many obstacles.”

Beautiful butterfly experience

Marsha Ellis, program director at The L.A. Trust, introduced the night’s featured guest speaker, Taaliyah Tucker, an undergraduate at LA Trade Technical College and a former member of The L.A. Trust Student Advisory Board (SAB) at Washington Prep High School.

Student speaker Taaliyah Tucker.

Taaliyah Tucker spoke about her “Beautiful Butterfly Experience”, and how joining The L.A. Trust SAB helped her come out of her cocoon. “I went from being this shy girl, to speaking with my peers at table events to being highlighted in an L.A. Trust video,” she said. “And then speaking at the Youth to Youth Conference to High School kids from all parts of LA Unified. And tonight, I’m here sharing my story with all of you.”

Ms. Tucker shared her experience with bullying and the personal toll it took on her physical and mental well-being. She spoke about growing up without parents, being an introvert, joining The L.A. Trust Student Advisory Board and her hopes for the future.

“I don’t know where I’ll be 5 or 10 years from now, but what I do know is that I will always continue to learn and hopefully, keep up with my public speaking and educating people on the great work The L.A. Trust has done and continues to do for students like me,” she said. “For a student who once upon a time used to be a shy girl from South LA, but has now turned into a beautiful butterfly.” Her emotional speech prompted a standing ovation.  

Interconnected realization

Pia Escudero, Executive Director at Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Division of Student Health & Human Services received the award on behalf of Jeanne Pritzker. Escudero said, “I am humbled to accept this award on behalf of Jeanne because without Jeanne, we wouldn’t have the professionals that we have, the tools and resources that we have and be able to spread the wealth of health and mental well-being that we have today in our schools.”     

Dr. Barbara Ferrer

Megan Reilly, Deputy Superintendent at LAUSD presented The L.A. Trust Champion Award to Dr. Barbara Ferrer. Dr. Ferrer noted how interconnected we are and how much we depend on each other. Dr. Ferrer said, “Every day, I get to work alongside remarkable people who tirelessly advance the health and well-being of more than 10 million people who live and work in LA County.” She asked the audience to join her in recognizing her public health colleagues who were in attendance and said, “This award is a tribute to their commitment, their exceptional efforts, and their personal sacrifice over the past nearly three years. I feel very fortunate to be a member of this public health team.”

Dr. Ferrer said, “As I look back over this very long pandemic, I am hopeful for our future, because we have forged ‘in strength and relationships that will allow us to continue to work together, improving conditions for students and their families, inside and outside the classrooms for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.”

Bidding for good 

The evening sponsors included our Gold Sponsor , Kaiser Permanente, and Silver Sponsors , Liberty Dental Plan, Delta Dental, Big Smiles, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, William Grice, L.A. Care, Health Net, Anton Consulting, and L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. Bronze Sponsors included Planned Parenthood, Health Management Associates, St. John’s Community Health, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, Orchard Financial Group, Tangram Interiors, Western Dental, and To Help Everyone Health and Wellness Centers. Community Allies include The California Credit Union, California Community Foundation, Holos Communities, LAUSD Board District 1/Dr. McKenna, Nicole J. Jones, and Brian Benton. Special thanks go to The Anthony & Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation.

The evening included a Silent Auction and an entertaining Live Auction featuring trips to Italy, Hawaii, Mammoth and Mexico. “Fund-a-need” pledges helped raise thousands of dollars for The L.A. Trust’s student engagement programs.

The L.A. Trust is very grateful for all who came and all who gave. Thanks to our sponsors, attendees and bidders, The L.A. Trust raised more than $200,000 to fund programs in the coming year. More importantly, it brought attention to the need for student healthcare. The L.A. Trust is especially proud of Taaliyah and the current Student Advisory Board members and Covid Youth Task Force members in our video, who showed everyone what The L.A. Trust mission is all about.

Thank you for your support at our Salute to Student Health event

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

We at The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health would like to thank you for joining us at this year's SALUTE TO STUDENT HEALTH Gala and helping to make our second annual event a great success. It was a true privilege for us to be able to come together and recognize the great work we have done together, and honor Dr. Jeanne Pritzker and Dr. Barbara Ferrer. Of course, we could not do any of this without your support. Your commitment, your friendship and your generosity inspires everything that we do. Thank you!

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VIEW SOME SPECIAL MOMENTS IN OUR PHOTO GALLERY!

View, download and share the 2022 Salute to Student Health digital gallery. A big THANK YOU to all the individuals and companies who showed their support and commitment to The L.A. Trust mission. Thank you for helping to make our gala an evening to remember.
>>PHOTO GALLERY

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It was a night to remember and we were so grateful to catch up with friends we had not seen in awhile and make some new ones. The evening was full of good people looking good and feeling good. Thank you again and we look forward to seeing more of you throughout the year! If you missed our event or want to relive that wonderful evening, watch it again in our pre-recorded coverage.

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Meet our staff, partners and the students we serve in this inspiring look at the Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health video that was featured in our event. Our mission: Bridging health and education to achieve student wellness. Our vision: A world where every child is healthy and successful.

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SPONSORS

The L.A. Trust, students and allies start the school year strong

Washington Prep High School SAB members at a table recruiting event.

Our Student Advisory Boards (SABs) have proven to be invaluable in raising awareness and providing feedback on student outreach campaigns, and  this school year promises to be another momentous year for student-led action.

The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health continues its education and outreach on student mental health, sexual and reproductive health, healthy living, and substance abuse through our SABs. We currently have 13 SABs located on high school campuses across L.A. Unified School District, including our latest addition, Sylvia Mendez High School in Boyle Heights. The SABs are managed by Adult Allies who serve as professional liaisons and educators to support the student volunteers in their education and outreach efforts to their peers.

Why Join a SAB

Throughout the year SAB volunteers are given opportunities to hone their leadership skills and develop as a persuasive public speaker. Not only does the volunteer experience look good on college applications, but the skills practiced while serving on a SAB can be life changing. For example, a recent graduate of Washington Prep High School, Taaliyah Tucker, credits her work in the SAB for helping her grow into a confident and powerful public speaker.

The Year Ahead

Belmont High School SAB members placing yellow suicide prevention ribbons on student backpacks for anti-suicide campaign week.

SAB volunteers will manage tabling events and workshops throughout the year that focus on student health issues, including HPV and other STIs, substance use, daily challenges, and safer sex. The first major campaign of the year is taking place this September and will focus on suicide prevention. The SABs are scheduled to have tables at events and post extensively on social media throughout this month. Students will share resources that are available 24/7 for those seeking help, including the Trevor Project (866 488-7386), focused on LGBTQ+ youth but open to all, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800 273 8255 in English and Spanish). One can also text HELLO TO 741741 anytime. 

SAB volunteer Emily Galvez is looking forward to the 2022 school year. “I am a senior at Jordan High School and I’m excited to be part of the SAB because this is my first year,” said Galvez. “I get to gain from these experiences and share what I’ve learned with others who might not know where or how to get the resources they need to stay in good health. I’m also looking forward to all the fun events we have planned and meeting new people.”

The L.A. Trust is proud to work with students like Taaliyah and Emily. All of our students are excited about the new school year as they prepare to share and learn with their peers. The L.A. Trust understands that the success of our school outreach efforts and the magnitude of our impact is in no small part thanks to the success of our Student Advisory Boards – and we stand ready to support them in this important endeavor.

We are in a moment of transformative opportunity

We are in a unique moment of opportunity to advance school-based healthcare. This year, students made their return to the classroom, bringing with them unmet health and mental health needs exacerbated by 2+ years of pandemic disruption. Luckily, California entered this year’s budget cycle with a $100 billion surplus and continued its trajectory of unprecedented public investments. Between this and next year’s budget, California has committed over $20 billion toward meeting the non-academic needs of K-12 students, including $4.7 billion to transform kids’ mental health and $4 billion (ongoing appropriation, unless it’s actively removed during the budget process it would remain in place) to provide afterschool and summer enrichment programs. We applaud the state’s effort to target historic investments toward Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income communities, which experienced disproportionate harm from COVID-19 due to longstanding structural and systemic inequities. 

Heightened interest and investment in youth mental health and school environments is elevating the role of school-based healthcare. The L.A. Trust School Health Policy Roundtable, a cross-sector collaborative of 33 organizations committed to advancing schools as centers of wellness, is working to ensure transformative investments in school health go toward building integrated, youth centered systems of care that help LA County youth succeed in school and life.  

 Learn more about the Roundtable and our policy goals here.  

Share our priorities? We’d love to partner. Contact Gabby Tilley at g.tilley@thelatrust.org to learn more.  

AB 1940 Awaiting Governor Newsom's Signature 

We are proud to support AB 1940 (Salas): School-Based Health Center Support Program, state legislation sponsored by the California School-based Health Alliance. The bill is on Newsom’s desk awaiting signature or veto—take action to help pass AB 1940!  

AB 1940 updates and modernizes the existing school-based health center (SBHC) grant program to meet the current needs of SBHCs in the state. The SBHC Program has existed in statute since 2007 yet has never been implemented due to a lack of funding. Unfortunately, funding for SBHC grants was left out of the 2022-23 state budget, but passing AB 1940 is an important step toward dedicated state funding.  

TAKE ACTION 

Tell Governor Newsom to sign AB 1940

LAUSD to focus on growing the number of students and staff accessing mental health support

LAUSD is set to promote mental health among students, teachers, and staff over the next four years.

The new Superintendent for Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Alberto M. Carvalho has laid out a bold vision for the nation’s second largest school district and part of that vision includes promoting mental health among the district’s students, teachers, and staff over the next four years. With mental health and well-being of students gaining greater urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic, The L.A. Trust has partnered with Ballmer Group, district staff from the School Mental Health Division and Wellness Programs, Wellness Providers (clinics), and other external partners to create a Youth Mental Health Collaborative. Meeting each quarter, the goal of the collaborative is to raise awareness and increase pathways to mental health services for students.

L.A. Unified is looking to invest in student wellness; by promoting whole-child wellbeing through integrated health and wellness services and a continuity of mental services for students and families at school, wellness centers, and through telehealth programs. The district will record data in socio-emotional learning and focus on growing the number of students and staff accessing mental health support. LAUSD plans to consistently monitor results and engage with the community to ensure its priorities are on track. 

Training programs are created in collaboration with students to facilitate referrals and raise awareness around mental health.

The Youth Mental Health Collaborative is part of The L.A. Trust’s Student Mental Health Initiative which includes training programs and social media campaigns created in collaboration with students to facilitate referrals and raise awareness around mental health. The L.A. Trust has trained over 200 L.A. Unified teachers and community partners in Youth Mental Health First Aid, which is designed to teach adults how to help adolescents experiencing a mental health or addiction challenge. In addition, trainings are provided to students on Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR), a program aimed at reducing suicidal behaviors.

The L.A. Trust is committed to total student wellness — mind, body and spirit. This school year, we will continue to advocate for mental health services, whether on campus or off, and to fight the stigma that keeps students and family members from seeking help.

Students engage in conversation on mental health at our annual Summer Academy

Members of The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards prepared for the new school year at The L.A. Trust Student Health Summer Learning Academy online.

This July Student Advisory Board (SAB) members from ten LAUSD Wellness Center campuses  prepared for a new school year at The L.A. Trust’s annual Summer Learning Academy on student health. The virtual event served as an orientation for incoming students joining the SABs and was an opportunity for participants to learn more about us and collaborate on challenges for the coming year.

 “We had great participation from the students this year,” said Senior Program Manager Robert Renteria. “Students were engaged in conversations that covered topics such as consent, mental health, sexual and reproductive health and identity.”

Students from ten LAUSD campuses — Belmont, Carson, Crenshaw, Elizabeth Learning Center, Garfield, Jordan, Locke, Monroe, Santee and Washington — attended. The students were joined by staff members from The L.A. Trust’s student engagement team, LAUSD Adult Allies, and mental health professionals.

A video to educate teens about depression and what to do if you or a friend is depressed.

Tanya Mercado and Frank Dussan, psychiatric social workers from LAUSD, helped lead a discussion on mental health and resources. Attendees also watched and discussed More than Sad, a video on depression and the stigma surrounding mental health that keeps youth from seeking treatment. 

 “We are expecting this engagement to translate to a great year of health promotion on campuses,” Renteria said. “The students are crucial to the success of our school outreach. Peer to peer outreach is a proven strategy and our SAB members are prepared with information to help support other students in their path to health and success. We are inspired by their enthusiasm and creativity and we’re looking forward to a great school year ahead.” Other topics included data and public health, including The L.A. Trust Data xChange, selfcare, sexuality and identity, healthy relationship and how to create and conduct health campaigns. 

The L.A. Trust Salute to Student Health 2022

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A MAGICAL NIGHT BENEFITING A CRITICAL MISSION

Thursday, September 29 | 6 to 9pm
Vibiana | 214 S. Main Street
and streaming online
Downtown Los Angeles

Join us on Sept. 29 as we honor Jeanne Pritzker with the L.A. Trust Visionary Award and Dr. Barbara Ferrer with The L.A. Trust Champion Award, for their leadership and commitment to the health and lives of our students and communities.

Meet your colleagues and support our vision of a world where every student is healthy and successful. The evening will feature dinner prepared by acclaimed Redbird chef Neal Fraser, along with a silent and live auction. Join us in saluting our two honorees and make a difference in student health.

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Event Ticket 

$200.00 $175.00 per person
Early registration ends on September 9, 2022
Complimentary Valet | Cocktail Business Formal

We are taking every precaution to keep this event safe. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in person or virtually. The event will adhere to the current COVID-19 guidelines.

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SPONSORS

Oral Health Advisory Board focuses on dental high-risk priority schools

Esther Yepez and her friend Billy show little ones how to brush their teeth.

Oral health leaders from the healthcare industry, nonprofits, academia, and the government met online at The L.A. Trust’s Oral Health Advisory Board quarterly meeting on June 7. Representatives from about 20 organizations discussed ways to help students in dental high-risk priority schools to access oral health services, how to improve screening assessments, and developed a roadmap for future meetings.

Dr. Smita Malhotra, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Medical Director provided an update from the new Superintendent for LAUSD, Alberto M. Carvalho, who has identified 68 priority schools as dental high-risk schools. LAUSD aims to bring mobile dental services to all the priority schools in the upcoming school year. They hope to provide toothbrushes and other resources in these schools and to boost The Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) participation in communities where dental care resources are lacking or what health officials call “dental desert communities.” 

Assessments and screenings

Casey Balverde, Data and Research Analyst with The L.A. Trust, gave a brief overview of the KOHA Survey Project, an online survey conducted in 28 districts to see how each district is distributing, collecting, and reporting KOHA data. The L.A. Trust is finalizing a full report in collaboration with the L.A. County Health Department detailing best practices, challenges and recommendations that should be ready later this month.

Elizabeth Brummel, Oral Health Community Liaison at the UCLA School of Dentistry, gave a brief update on the findings of their own Oral Health Collaborative Consortium of five elementary schools in South L.A. She outlined what UCLA Dentistry is doing to advance school-based oral health, including updates on their assessment, education, and outreach programs.

Esther Yepez from The L.A. Trust provided updates on the Big Smiles screenings small pilot project at the nine schools in the Local South District which provided oral health education to 781 students. The pilot project was able to screen 162 students and is aiming next year to increase the impact on children with more education and screenings.

Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, added that there was likely growth in dental emergencies due to the pandemic. In the last 10 years, the average has been 4-6% and now it is at 9%. The dramatic increase in cavities, or “covidties” as Dr. Francisco Ramos called them, can be seen as a result of the pandemic with the closure of dental clinics, social distancing, staying indoors, and fear of visiting unfamiliar places.

Moving forward

The L.A. Trust’s Oral Health Advisory Board ended with a focus on next convening’s agenda. The agenda includes reporting findings and recommendations on referral systems for the city, the county and the state. The Board seeks to align LAUSD priority schools with the LA County priority schools to make sure those students get first access to dental screenings and referrals to dental homes. The Board also aims to ensure that water fountains at the 68 priority schools are properly fluoridated to supplement ongoing oral health initiatives.

Seeking to reach more teens with TikTok grant

The L.A. Trust will pilot the TikTok Challenge with the Carson High School SAB.

The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health was recently awarded a six-month, $21,000 grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and the Community Ambassador Network (CAN) Youth program to help reach students on the TikTok social media platform who may be suffering from emotional or mental distress.  In late 2021, TikTok rolled out new resources to support the well-being of its hundreds of millions of users, most of whom are teens and young adults. The resources include in-app videos that address “youth signs of struggling” and “youth steps to create a connection,” with an aim toward helping people who are dealing with mental health issues.

The CAN Youth Program TikTok Grant will be used by The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards (SAB) to spearhead a TikTok Challenge aimed at increasing mental health awareness and promotion among Los Angeles County youth. The L.A. Trust will pilot the TikTok Challenge with the Carson High School SAB.

“This is another great opportunity to engage our Student Advisory Boards and get our youth involved in creating a positive, healthy impact in their schools and their communities,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director at The L.A. Trust. “The creativity of our students knows no bounds and we look forward to creating exciting new content - for students, by students.”

The L.A. Trust Student Advisory Boards are led by volunteer student health advocates who can hone their leadership skills by mentoring and training their peers. This social media investment aims to help educate teens on mental illness by developing and vetting a compilation of approved video messages for wellness, “how to help a friend;” “where to find support;” “you are not alone;” and “the teen line.”

Silent epidemic of mental illness

The mental health and well-being of students has gained greater urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Youth data from Mental Health America found that 60% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. Youth experiencing mental health episodes continue to go untreated. Twenty-one percent of youth aged 13 to 18 live with mental illness severe enough to cause significant impairment in their daily lives. Three out of four children with mental health needs in California do not receive treatment.

Why TikTok

The pandemic has shown just how effective TikTok can be when trying to reach youth. Powered by a highly personalized content recommendation system, the TikTok video platform has broken download records, quickly becoming the go-to app for connecting with teenagers. Recently, TikTok rolled out some new restrictions on DMs for teens to make sure the app is safe and available for every age. The platform also gives teenagers a place to learn more about anxiety, sexuality, depression, and relationship abuse.

We at The L.A. Trust welcome the opportunity to incorporate a new creative channel to further reach our youth and help them communicate with each other on such an important topic as mental health. Stay tuned for more details on the upcoming TikTok campaigns.

The L.A. Trust welcomes three new board members

With the addition of three new board members, The L.A. Trust now has 15 members and is poised for success.

The L.A. Trust Board of Directors met earlier this year to appoint three new members. The new board members bring with them a deep understanding of health care management and health care technology. Elected in January of this year, the new board members include, Jerry C. Cheng, MD; Julie H. Park, MD; and Bobby H. Lee, founder of Project XV.   

“We are excited to have Jerry, Julie and Bobby join our exciting work as we seek to increase our reach and impact on the children of Los Angeles,” said Maryjane Puffer, Executive Director of The L.A. Trust. “They each bring unique talents, perspectives and connections to the table and are committed to a more healthy and equitable future for Los Angeles.”

Jerry C. Cheng, MD

Jerry Cheng, MD, has over 20 years of medical experience in Southern California. Dr. Cheng is currently a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Kaiser Permanente serving as Chief of the Pediatrics Department and is Chair of the national Bone Marrow Transplant Section. Dr. Cheng is the lead physician at Kaiser Permanente’s Pediatric Infusion Center and is Co-Chair of a joint clinical and operations oversight committee in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Kaiser Permanente Southern California. He also serves as an Assistant Professor at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine and University of California, Los Angeles Department of Pediatrics.

Bobby H. Lee

Bobby H. Lee is the founder of Project XV, an initiative to positively impact organizations and people in their financial well-being. Bobby has over 25 years of experience in the optimization of people, process, and information to improve performance in various industries. He has founded or participated in start-ups focusing on health information technology, electronic health records management service, and physician practice management. Prior to starting Project XV, Bobby was Co-Founder & Principal of eRECORDS, Inc., which delivered over $40M in government grants to private practice owners.

Julie Park, MD

Julie Park, MD, has been in practice for more than 20 years. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics and currently serves at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles. Prior to Kaiser Permanente she had a pediatric residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles where she was honored with the Resident Award for Scientific Knowledge, Clinical Judgement, and Excellence in Human Relations. She received her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and her bachelor's degree from University of California Los Angeles.

With the addition of three new board members, The L.A. Trust now has 15 members and is poised for success. We look forward to working with all our board members as we head into our third decade of bridging health and education to achieve student wellness and putting care in student healthcare.

Y2Y Health Summit empowers youth as educators and students

A total of 90 students from 11 schools attended this year’s event, surpassing last year’s virtual Y2Y Health Summit.

Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health held the annual Youth-to-Youth (Y2Y) Health Summit last month on April 1, 2022 at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College. The free conference is led by youth, for youth, and offers workshops that focus on total health and wellness for the body, mind and soul. The event aims to elevate youth voices and give students an opening to connect with each other through health.

A total of 90 students from 11 schools attended this year’s event, surpassing last year’s virtual Y2Y Health Summit. “This is a huge accomplishment for being our first ever event since COVID quarantine,” said Robert Renteria, The L.A. Trust’s senior program manager who helped facilitate the gathering. This year’s Y2Y Health Summit was filled with students sharing information on sexual and reproductive health, HPV vaccination, substance use prevention, and mental health.

The Health Summit’s workshops focused on nutrition and mental health, reproductive rights, stress and mental health, substance abuse, oral health, and community building through creative arts and social justice.

We were proud to have Taaliyah Tucker at this year’s Y2Y Health Summit as the keynote speaker. Ms. Tucker is a former member of the “Wash Squad” Student Advisory Board (SAB) at Washington Preparatory High School. She graduated last year and today she attends Los Angeles Trade Tech where she is studying culinary arts.

When we first met Ms. Tucker she did not enjoy public speaking and could not imagine herself volunteering to speak to a group of students. However, through her work in the “Wash Squad” she became an excellent ally and mental health advocate for students. Ms. Tucker was also instrumental in our outreach to students focusing on substance use and tobacco prevention while working closely with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Her message in the keynote was to “be your authentic self.”

We would like to thank everyone who helped make this event a success, including LAUSD staff, and members of The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards from the Belmont, Carson, Crenshaw, Elizabeth Learning Center, Fremont, Hollywood, Jefferson, Jordan, Locke, Monroe and Santee campuses.

The Y2Y Health Summit would not be possible without our generous partners including LA County Department of Mental Health, LA Trade Tech, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Dairy Council of California, Essential Access Health, Reach LA, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, CalMHSA, LA Unified School District, F*ck Cancer, Student Health and Human Services, and the Wellness Networks of LAUSD.

Care Beyond the Clinic Walls focuses on equity and health care

Irma Rosa Viera spoke at the statewide conference, Care Beyond the Clinic Walls hosted by The California School-Based Health Alliance.

School based-health providers, educators, and advocates from across California met for the 2022 statewide school health conference, Care Beyond the Clinic Walls, on Friday, April 29. The California School-Based Health Alliance hosted the statewide conference, their first in-person event since 2019, at the University of Redlands’ Orton Center.

The two-day conference was an opportunity for student healthcare professionals from across the state to learn strategies on how to improve the performance of practicing professionals working to impact the health, safety and well-being of children and their communities. The conference offered a wide range of workshops including Peer Mentoring, Screening for Psychosocial Risks & Trauma, and Starting a School Based Health Center.

It was inspirational to see a lively group of almost 300 health care professionals come together and express their commitment to strengthening our California communities by providing equitable access to quality health care for students and their families.

Keynote speaker Dr. Dana L. Cunningham, a longtime school psychologist, researcher, and practitioner in the development of application of evidence-based practices for youth of color gave a powerful presentation on “Social Justice: Catalysts and Barriers to Progress.”  She spoke on the systematic (In)visible barriers that are impacting students of color and preventing them from thriving. Today, far too many students of color are faced with higher suspension and expulsion rates, offered fewer opportunities to enter gifted courses, and attend schools that must fight for scraps of funding and resources.

Dr. Cunningham emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in how we confront these issues. Communication and collaboration is key, and we must engage in difficult dialogues about race to move past our fears. Lean into the discomfort, identify systems of oppression, acknowledge what we don’t know, and speak about injustices when we see them.

To close out the conference, Children & Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) led a delightful brainstorming session and an insightful group activity on self-reflection.

Care Beyond the Clinic Walls offered something for everyone who cares about providing quality health care services to communities regardless of income. As we continue to live through COVID, it was a great experience to get out and see some old friends and meet new ones.  We are already looking forward to the 2023 conference and we hope to see you there!

New research highlights success of school-based health centers

Patients visit three times a year on average, showing they consider these clinics a trusted source of care.

The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has published a comprehensive new Data xChange report illustrating the impact of School Based Health Centers (SBHC) on students, families and community members in L.A. Unified’s disadvantaged areas. During the COVID pandemic, L.A. Unified’s full-service Wellness Centers have proven essential for providing access to preventive health and mental health care services where little to no resources existed before.

In the 2020-2021 school year, the number of clinics participating in the L.A. Trust Data xChange grew from 11 to 20. In the past six years, Wellness Centers and other LAUSD School-Based Health Centers have provided care to 188,666 unique patients through 615,031 visits. Patients visit three times a year on average, showing they consider these clinics a trusted source of care.

Wellness Centers are specifically designed to serve not just students, but their families and community members, too. These clinics serve a diverse population and are deeply committed to health equity —they turn away no one. Latinx patients made up the largest proportion of patients over the past six years. This reflects LAUSD’s student population —73% of students enrolled in LAUSD schools in the 2020-21 school year were Latinx. Wellness Centers provide intergenerational care to families and community members, while SBHCs primarily serve students ages 5-19.

Coping with COVID-19

Nine clinics remained opened throughout the pandemic and have served 32,000 patients with a total of 104,000 visits.  From March 2020 through December 2021, these nine clinics had over 4,000 COVID diagnoses and administered more than 6,000 COVID vaccines within their service network. St. John’s Community Health administered over 91,000 COVID vaccines outside their service network through their five school-based clinics. A UCLA analysis of our data showed that Wellness Centers continued to play a critical role during the pandemic-related school closures. Despite school closures, the proportion of visits for mental health and well-child exams increased, showing that clinics remained a critical access point for preventive and mental health care.

Read more about our 2022 Data xChange SBHC Impact Report

Attendance and Health

The Data xChange provided an in-depth analysis of attendance and student health data showing that visiting a school-based health center was associated with an increase in school attendance. On average, the proportion of full days present in school was declining for students before their first school-based health center visit. After the first visit to a school-based health center, the proportion of full days present increased over time. Students’ attendance increased by 5.4 school days per year following any type of visit to a school-based health center. Students’ attendance increased by 7 school days per year after a school-based health center visit for a mental health diagnosis.

Future insights

There are nearly 2,600 SBHCs in the nation and approximately 50 SBHCs (not including Well Being Centers) in the L.A. Unified School District. The near-term goal of the Data xChange is to provide a comprehensive view of all SBHCs across the district. The long-term goal of the L.A. Trust Data xChange is to be a model for SBHC data in the nation, enabling better research on the impact of student health on academic achievement —and better policy decisions at the local, state and federal levels.

As the first of its kind in the country, Data xChange can improve health and academic outcomes for all Los Angeles public school students. It is the first in the nation that combines student health and academic data on a regular basis. The Data xChange will add graduation rates and data about children experiencing homelessness, foster youth and English language learners beginning next year. This new data will provide health equity insights into special populations of youth who may lack access to care outside of the school setting.

The L.A. Trust recently received funds to help expand the scope of the Data xChange. Executive Director Maryjane Puffer shared that the organization, “has received significant funding for the next two years from the W.M Keck Foundation, Cedars-Sinai and Kaiser Permanente to expand our Data xChange to include mental health data and other remaining L.A Unified school-based health centers.”

About the Data xChange

The Data xChange is guided by an Expert Advisory Council that includes representatives from the following organizations: Children Now, Community Clinic Association of LA County, Community Coalition, Community Health Councils, First 5 Los Angeles, Inner City Struggle, Kaiser Permanente, L.A. Care Health Plan, LAUSD Student health & Human Services, LAUSD Office of Data & Accountability, Prevention Institute, The Children’s Health Partnership and The Advancement Project.

Read more about The L.A. Trust Data xChange 

Grant from Kaiser will drive mental health, Data xChange

Kaiser Permanente’s “transformational” grant will complete The L.A. Trust Data xChange and fund The L.A. Trust Student Mental Health Initiative.

A three-year, $750,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente will fund two key initiatives at The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health: The L.A. Trust Student Mental Health Initiative and The L.A. Trust Data xChange.

“The size and the scope of this grant is transformational,” said Anna Baum, director of development and communications for The L.A. Trust. “It will allow us to expand our mental health outreach and advocacy, which is so needed, especially now,” Baum said.

“It will also allow us to complete work on our ground-breaking Data xChange, which gives decision-makers and providers crucial insights on the state of student health in Los Angeles.”

“Access to mental health continues to be a priority for Kaiser Permanente,” said Will Grice, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. “The integration of mental health and primary health underscores the fact that a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. Through this grant, we hope that students and their families can identify a need for quality mental health services early on and get the support they deserve.”

Mental health agenda

The grant will help expand student mental health awareness through The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards (SABs), peer advocacy groups at L.A. Unified campuses with Wellness Center clinics.

SAB members reach out and educate fellow students on key behavioral health topics, including healthy relationships, sexual and reproductive health, substance use and suicide prevention.

“The mental health of students is the priority now,” Baum said. “The Kaiser grant will support our entire youth mental health effort.”

Read more about our Student Mental Health Initiative

Data-driven decision-making

The second component of the Kaiser Permanente grant is finalizing The L.A. Trust Data xChange byintegratrating confidential, de-identified mental health and school medical data into the Data xChange platform.

The Data xChange will also establish community-informed reporting protocols tailored to student, school and community partners and distribute them twice a year.

The L.A. Trust will work with UCLA Pediatrics to release an issue brief highlighting key findings from the Data xChange and the impact of L.A. Unified Wellness Centers on student academic outcomes.

“This grant is very strategic,” Baum said. “It puts our two most important initiatives on overdrive and will have a lasting impact on student healthcare in the region.”

Read more about The L.A. Trust Data xChange 

Healing with art: The L.A. Trust brings ‘artivism’ to students

Workshops from The L.A. Trust explored healing through art, sleep hygiene and social media, journaling, poetry, art and music.

More than 100 Student Advisory Board members from L.A. Unified explored art and healing, sleep hygiene, and social media and wellness in a series of workshops informed by The Los Angeles Trust equity, diversity and inclusion initiative.

Dr. Nooshin Valizadeh, advisor for The L.A. Trust EDI initiative, led a four-part online art workshop series teaching students how to use art, poetry and writing as a form of healing and self-expression. One session featured art therapist Brandi Junious.

Dr. Valizadeh said, “In the final session, we had an open mic with students and attendees sharing their songs, poetry and artwork. It was a truly wonderful experience and really showed how holistic forms of healing and building community can create a huge difference for our youth.”

“The workshops helped students recognize that we are all artists and brought them into a place where they could write, paint and share music,” said Mackenzie Scott, program manager at The L.A. Trust.

Sleep well

Dr. Valizadeh helped create two workshop modules led by Mackenzie Scott and fellow Program Manager Esther Yepez — one on sleep hygiene and another on social media and wellness.

“Sleep hygiene is a part of self-care,” Scott said. “We were getting emails from our students (SAB members) at 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning.” The workshop taught students about circadian rhythm and the impact of rest on mood, behavior, thiningthinking and academic and athletic performance.

A second workshop focused on the social media-wellness connection and included tips on how to perform a “social media cleanse” to put the platforms in perspective.

Yepez said, “Many needed a break — 50% of teens admit feeling addicted to their phones.” Social media use can lead to depression, anxiety, poor body image and poor sleep. Ninety-seven percent of teens 13 to 17 are on social media and 45% are on it “almost constantly.”

The workshops were eye-openers for the presenters as well as the students. “All of the workshops showed us more creative ways to engage with youth,” said Scott.

Sharing Brings Hope campaign starts with community

L.A. Unified Interim Superintendent Megan Riley opened the 30th Sharing Brings Hope Consolidated Charity Campaign benefiting The L.A. Trust and 10 other nonprofits. 

Nearly 100 L.A. Unified and local charity fundraisers joined the 30th anniversary Sharing Brings Hope Leadership Breakfast February 2, 2022, on Zoom.  

L.A. Unified Interim Superintendent Megan Riley welcomed participants to the event, which kicks off the campaign’s 30th consolidated campaign running now until April 22. Other guests included, Kelly Gonez, LAUSD board member representing District 6, and Angela Padilla, board president of FundaMental Change. Hilda Solis, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, delivered pre-recorded remarks. 

“This campaign fills in the gaps,” Gonez said. “It helps lifts up our L.A. Unified families.” The event ended with an emotional and unscripted appeal from District 1 Board Member Dr. George McKenna III, who said the campaign has always been driven by “faith, hope and charity and above all, love.” 

The annual campaign benefits 11 nonprofits supporting the Los Angeles Unified community, including The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, the Asian Pacific Community Fund, Brotherhood Crusade, Creating Healthier Communities, EarthShare California, Kathryn Kurka Children’s Health Fund, LAUSD Employee Sponsored Scholarship Fund, United Latinx Fund, United Negro College Fund, United Teachers Educational Foundation, and United Way of Greater Los Angeles. 

Despite COVID and quarantine, the campaign raised $250,00 in 2021 and hopes to raise $300,000 during the 60-day campaign. There are two ways to give: one-time contributions by cash or check, or payroll deductions. Visit the Sharing Brings Hope website to contribute or learn more.

Learn more or donate

The L.A. Trust Year in Review: 2021 was a time of action

Last year was a watershed year as The L.A. Trust expanded its scope and capabilities to address key concerns like the COVID-19 pandemic and youth mental health.

Last year The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health and its partners built on the lessons of 2020 to take action on the converging crises facing L.A.’s schools and communities.

As the virulent delta variant took hold, The L.A. Trust launched a COVID-19 Youth Task Force and  joined a broad coalition of agencies, healthcare providers and nonprofits countering vaccine disinformation and urging vaccination against the coronavirus.

The L.A. Trust convened the healthcare and education communities to address the growing mental health crisis among students and young people, hosting our first Youth Mental Health Collaborative in conjunction with L.A. Unified.

Student engagement remained a top priority of The L.A. Trust despite the quarantine, as Student Advisory Board members met online at our Y2Y Student Health Summit and Student Health Summer Learning Academy. As students, teachers and Wellness Center clinicians returned to campus, we went back to school with them, hosting educational events and resuming in-person student engagement on suicide prevention and other issues.

The L.A. Trust expanded its role as the backbone of L.A.’s student health community by convening educators and healthcare providers at its Wellness Network Learning Collaboratives, expanding its Data xChange initiative and launching a new tool for school-health center integration.

A year of growth

The L.A. Trust started the school year in October by adding eight new staff members. Board President Will Grice of Kaiser Permanente said, “This is the biggest growth initiative in The L.A. Trust's 20-year history. These new team members will allow us to expand policy development, advocacy, prevention education and student engagement.” 

Officers, board members and staff of The L.A. Trust unpacked issues of equity, diversity and inclusion at a special online meeting in May. Intersectionality expert Dr. Nooshin Valizadeh led the discussion, which was designed to foster thought exchange; define racism and understand its history and impact; and to name, challenge and change racial biases. 

Moving event

The pandemic did not stop The L.A. Trust Salute to Student Health, an in-person and online gala honoring former L.A. Unified School Superintendent Austin Beutner and Dr. Lynn Yonekura, community health director at Dignity Health California Hospital. More than 200 healthcare providers, educators and civic leaders were moved by the event, and more than $200,000 was raised to support The L.A. Trust mission.

The L.A. Trust started the year by convening our Oral Health Advisory Board  and observing Children’s Dental Health Month with a social media campaign and round two of Operation Tooth Fairy, which distributed nearly 60,000 toothbrushes and oral healthcare items.

We also observed School-Based Healthcare Awareness Week Month in February, joining our partners at the California School-Based Health Alliance in advocating for greater funding and awareness of this critical healthcare system.

“Our SBHCs are more critical than ever,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health. “Supporting these centers has been a core part of our mission since our founding, and it’s important we redouble our efforts during this incredibly challenging time.”

Read our 2021 Mission Report to learn more

Generous grant-makers support students and The L.A. Trust

Generous multi-year grants from leading foundations and agencies will help support L.A.’s students and sustain and expand the work of The L.A. Trust.

Throughout 2021 funders continued to show their wisdom and generosity through grant-making and interest in the work of The L.A. Trust. Several grants were for much-needed general operating support, including a two-year investment from the Weingart Foundation and one-year grants from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation.

We’re very grateful to have received first-time grants for general operating support from The Carol and James Collins Foundation, The Green Foundation, and Good Hope Medical Foundation. The Samerian Foundation made a first-time grant to our Student Mental Health Initiative, and a Dignity Health award allows us to continue into year three of their Cultural Trauma & Mental Health Resiliency Project.

Mental health engagement

We reconnected with the William M. Keck, Jr. Foundation, which is now funding our mental health student engagement work. And we continue to partner with FCancer to work with students on cancer prevention efforts, particularly around the HPV vaccine.

Some grant-makers sent us equity surveys this past year, adding to the deep feeling that we’re all working together to address racism in our city. As we continue to mobilize while remaining flexible around student needs and school mandates, we pause to recognize how grateful we are for all the ways that so many groups, from family funds to large institutions, lend their resources to the pursuit of healthcare equity and accessibility for all students.

‘We are in a moment’ — policy experts discuss converging student health crises

The L.A. Trust Student Health Policy Roundtable met for the first time last month to address healthcare issues affecting L.A. County students and their families.

An invited group of leaders in children’s health and student wellness assembled at the kickoff meeting of The L.A. Trust Student Health Policy Roundtable, online December 8, 2021. They discussed the urgent need to work together to find new solutions to the converging crises affecting student and community health. 

The purpose of the roundtable, funded by Cedars-Sinai, is to “establish a forum where cross-sector leaders can advance a shared policy agenda for school-based healthcare and student wellness in Los Angeles County,” said Gabrielle Tilley, senior policy manager for The L.A. Trust. 

Participants came from the public and private sectors, including the Children’s Partnership, the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC), Helpline Youth Counseling, Kaiser Permanente, L.A. County Departments of Public Health and Mental Health and Office of Education, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles (PPLA), L.A. Care and UCLA. Ana Perales and Toyomi Igus were present from The L.A. Trust board of directors. 

New opportunities

Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust, said, “We are in a moment of great need.” She cited ongoing harm from the once-again surging coronavirus, numerous, interconnected health crises, and long-standing discrimination and racial disparities. 

Along with the challenges, Puffer noted major opportunities, including increased public awareness and political will, federal recovery funds, California’s budget surplus and new spending on youth, education and mental health, especially the $4 billion California Youth and Behavioral Health Initiative. 

Puffer said it was time to follow in the footsteps of The L.A. Trust’s original policy roundtable, which helped create a school healthcare model designed to integrate primary, behavioral and oral healthcare at L.A. Unified Wellness Centers. “There were five LAUSD Wellness Centers at the time (2008), but their efforts were not always uniform.” 

Puffer said The L.A. Trust Data xChange is a key component to finding policy solutions that will take a holistic approach to student and community health concerns and “make our schools a center of well-being.” 

Foundations

Tilley noted that 32 partners representing 21 organizations were interviewed prior to the inaugural meeting. Representatives included the Advancement Project, the Children’s Defense Fund, Children’s Law Center of California, CSHA, Children Now, the Community Coalition, CCLAC, Children’s Partnership, Essential Access Health, Inner City Struggle, PPLA, and L.A. Unified and the L.A. County Board of Education, Board of Supervisors, Office of Education and Department of Public Health.  

Common challenges cited included lack of collaboration and integration, labor shortages, school leadership turnover, student and parental consent for services, cultural competency, funding, referral and billing processes, punitive disciplinary policies and a need to focus on the “whole child.” 

Interviewees cited major opportunities for improvement, including major investments in schools and mental health, school-based health centers (SBHCs), community schools, peer advocacy, student and community engagement, reinvestment of policing dollars, universal free school meals, and early intervention with the 0-5 population. 

Participants listened as Taaliyah Tucker, a former member of The L.A. Trust Student Advisory Board at Washington Prep, discussed the challenges faced by her fellow students, including COVID, quarantine and mental health.  

“Mental health is really important right now,” she said. “Kids say they’re fine, but they’re not fine. You have to read the signs.” 

Discovering shared values 

Participants broke into eight groups to identify shared values. Issues raised included the importance of Black health, removing barriers to student healthcare and increasing power sharing and transparency. 

“We must make health education culturally competent,” one participant said. Another emphasized the importance of “adventure counseling,” noting that most prevention education is negative or punitive. “It has to be youth-centered or it doesn’t work.” 

A representative of the Los Angeles County Office of Education noted their focus on access for immigrant families, who have been hit especially hard by COVID. 

Puffer said improving the student healthcare referral systems and working with L.A. Unified’s Community of Schools Initiative launched in 2020 should be considered as top priorities. 

Next steps 

Tilley announced that the group will meet again on January 14, 2022. “We will work from the heart, listen actively and assume good intentions.” The main purpose of the body will be to build an agenda that focuses on two or three major policy goals. 

“Much like children’s health needs — the interests of this group are diverse and complex. Identifying two or three shared goals among us is no easy task, but after one meeting it’s clear this collaboration can be a powerful force for policy change,” Tilley said. “This is just the beginning.”