Pediatrics for Underserved Populations (PDF)

by Klass Perri MD FAAP (ed.), Eileen Costello MD FAAP (ed.), Terri McFadden MD FAAP (ed.)

In this realistic and compassionate guide, pediatric professionals will find primary care strategies for promoting better health and developmental outcomes in low-resourced, high-density urban environments, where many of the communities face structural and historical inequities. The contributors acknowledge the challenges faced by children and families in these settings, and the ways that social drivers of health affect many different aspects of health and well-being. But, they also describe the innovative programs developed at their own and other institutions, which have long histories of caring for children at high risk for poor long-term health outcomes. The editors draw on the expertise of academic pediatricians who have found ways to address social determinants of health with creative, clinic-based support for families.
The essays, each written by expert contributors, are built into a structure that introduces the topic, provides concrete exam room solutions, and engages pediatric professionals to advocate for long-term solutions to the overarching societal problems that contributor to poor health outcomes for children. Pediatrics for Underserved Populations also includes the last published piece by AAP past president Benard P. Dreyer, M.D., FAAP, to whom the volume is dedicated in honor of his career-long advocacy for children who are at-risk.