The role of the nurse practitioner (NP) in the health care landscape was developed in the mid-1960s to fill a need for additional primary care pediatrics services for the Baby Boom generation. Today, there are more than 385,000 licensed NPs across the U.S., and their number is expected to grow by 45% between now and 2032.

Joining us on this episode to discuss the role of the nurse practitioner in the current and future health care landscape is Stephen Ferrara, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, associate dean of clinical affairs and assistant professor of nursing at Columbia University, and President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Guest:
Stephen A. Ferrara, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, President, American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

There’s a bold idea bubbling to the surface in health care: if we want to address the numerous problems regarding health and wellness in the U.S., as a nation, we must understand what health is, pay for health, and start with children. Woven into this philosophy is the concept of whole child health, which is about addressing 100% of the things that impact a child’s health 100% of the time. In 2021, Nemours Children’s Health founded the Whole Child Health Alliance to help advance the concept of “whole child health."

While there is no single solution for achieving whole child health, there are models already in place in communities across the nation that are integrative, collaborative, and effective. In this second of a two-part series on Whole Child Health, we examine a model in Washington state that aims to diagnose and treat behavioral health concerns in children before they reach crisis levels. This model involves a unique partnership between HopeSparks Family Services, a behavioral health and family services provider, and Pediatrics Northwest, a pediatric health care provider.

Featuring:
Mary Ann Woodruff, MD, FAAP, Physician Champion for Care Transformation, Pediatrics Northwest, Tacoma, WA
Joe Le Roy, LICSW, President & CEO, HopeSparks Family Services, Tacoma, WA

Learn more about the Whole Child Health Alliance.

Advancing the Key Elements of Whole Child Health: State Case Studies and Policy Recommendations (PDF)

Carol Vassar, host/producer

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.

Children’s health and well-being are affected by their surroundings – the schools they attend, the places they play, the food they eat, and their relationships with the adults around them. In 2021, Nemours Children’s Health founded the Whole Child Health Alliance to help advance the concept of “whole child health." Learn how this group of children’s hospitals, health insurance companies, think tanks, advocacy organizations, and others work together to address the multi-faceted needs of kids through health care delivery and financing approaches that keep the “whole child” in mind.

Guests:
Daniella Gratale, MA, Associate Vice President, Federal Affairs, Nemours Children's Health
Joshua Traylor, MPH, Executive Director, Center for Health and Research Transformation
Jim Perrin, MD, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics, MassGeneral Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Advancing the Key Elements of Whole Child Health: State Case Studies and Policy Recommendations (PDF)

Host/Producer: Carol Vassar

Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or management.

Subscribe, review or let your voice be heard at NemoursWellBeyond.org.