Culturally respectful care starts at the very beginning of life, shaped by the rich lived experiences, traditions, and values that influence how children and families interact with the healthcare system. Every family brings unique circumstances, and clinicians and multidisciplinary teams must be ready to meet those diverse needs with sensitivity and confidence. By understanding family roles and dynamics, addressing disparities influenced by social drivers of health (SDoH), and partnering with schools and communities, clinicians can create a supportive, trusting environment for this vulnerable patient population. Best-in-class education will empower care teams to deliver compassionate, culturally attuned care that makes a meaningful difference for every child and family they serve.
In this CME Outfitters Snack, part of a series on health equity, expert faculty will address these gaps by identifying the principles of culturally respectful child and adolescent care while modeling care plans that reflect and respect individual family priorities and preferred communication strategies. Faculty will demonstrate the use of comprehensive SDoH screening and management approaches and describe the benefits of closed-loop referrals for addressing identified family needs. Learners will be shown how to integrate system-level, compliant, coordinated workflows with schools and community resources to address the unique health needs of children and adolescents in diverse populations including rural and Indigenous settings.
In this CME Outfitters Snack, part of a series on health equity, expert faculty will identify cross-sector roles guiding care coordination in child and family health including integration with schools, welfare agencies, and community partners. Faculty will differentiate the unique assessment and support needs for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities including roles of coordinated services, culturally sensitive care, and shared decision-making. Learners will be guided through employing evidence-based strategies to address continuity of care during the transition from child and adolescent care to adult care across the fields of medical, behavioral, legal, and education/vocation services, particularly with patients with complex needs. Lastly, faculty will implement culturally sensitive coordination practices with tribal nations and Indigenous communities that honor sovereignty, promote trust, and uphold best practices aligned with ICWA in cross-sector partnerships.
In this CME Outfitters Snack, part of a series on health equity, expert faculty will address these gaps by assessing the impact of trauma and ACEs on child and adolescent development, health and behaviors, particularly in diverse patient populations. Faculty will utilize validated age- and setting-appropriate trauma screening and assessment tools within a culturally sensitive framework to address the needs of diverse pediatric populations. Learners will be shown how to develop a trauma-informed implementation plan with team roles, training touchpoints, and process measures and collaboration with community-based resources to mitigate barriers and promote equitable health access in underserved populations.
In this CME Outfitters Snack, part of a series on health equity, expert faculty will review EPSDT standards for screening, diagnostic, and treatment services, including required documentation for coverage for children and adolescents. Faculty will integrate evidence-based approaches, including use of age-appropriate developmental and behavioral screening tools within the EPSDT framework to identify and address common pediatric conditions in diverse populations. Learners will be guided to strengthen behavioral health screening, risk assessment, referral, and follow-up for Medicaid-enrolled children and adolescents using culturally sensitive and family-centered strategies.
Wendy L. Hobson-Rohrer, MD, MSPH, FAAP, is the inaugural Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Education and a professor (with tenure) of pediatrics at the University of Utah.
As a general pediatrician, she cares for patients and teaches students and residents at the University of Utah South Main Clinic, whose mission is to increase access to health care for marginalized populations and provide the highest quality of care to patients regardless of their financial ability to pay. She is the Executive Clinical Director, working collaboratively with dentists, physician assistants, midwives, nurse practitioners, family medicine physicians, obstetricians, and pediatricians.
Dr. Hobson-Rohrer graduated from Cornell University with a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies with distinction in all subjects. She earned her MD degree at Cornell University Medical College. Following pediatric residency, she worked in the National Public Health Services Corp, during which time she completed an education fellowship and MSPH at the University of Utah. She is a graduate of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program and holds a graduate certificate in conflict resolution and mediation.
This CMEO Snack will highlight strategies to better identify common cultural beliefs and trust-related factors that affect perspectives on illness, healing, home remedies, and use of medication uses. Additionally, expert faculty will discuss culturally responsive communication strategies to address traditional remedies, community influence, and health beliefs alongside evidence-based recommendations when counseling Latine patients on medication and chronic disease.
In this CMEO Snack, expert faculty will discuss the integration of patient-centered communication strategies that incorporate appropriate formality, family engagement, and effective use of interpretation services as well as provide strategies to apply plain-language and medical Spanish communication techniques, including teach-back, to enhance patient understanding during multilingual encounters.
