Child Advocacy
At Lutheran General Children’s Hospital

As a pediatrician you will have instant credibility as a child advocate. During your training at Lutheran General Children’s Hospital there are several experiences that will enable you to feel comfortable in this role. Here is a brief overview of child advocacy efforts at LGHC:

COMMUNITY PEDIATRIC ROTATION: During your second year you will complete a one month rotation in community pediatrics. During this rotation you will rotate through various outpatient pediatric offices, apply for WIC, shadow a city lead inspector, direct a new parent support group, and visit the local TB district offices. You will also learn strategies of continuous quality improvement and complete a QI project that interests you. Read More

SCHOOL BASED HEALTH: The Maine East School Based Health Center provides comprehensive physical and mental health services at Maine East High School, located next to the children's hospital. The school is home to students from over 50 different cultural groups that speak over 75 different languages. You will rotate through this clinic on your community and adolescent rotations. Read More

PEDIATRIC ADVOCACY ROTATION: The Advocacy Rotation is a required one month experience that promises to provide an interesting experience in community outreach. During this rotation you will participate in several activities involving child protection, the court system, domestic violence prevention, school based advocacy, and political lobbying. Read More

HEALTHY STEPS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN: Healthy Steps is a national program which promotes healthy growth and development of children 0-3 years old and their families. The first three years of life are critically important to a child’s emotional and cognitive development. The medical care that these children receive should enhance growth, educate families, promote nurturing relationships and offer support and resources when needed. During your training, the Healthy Steps program will teach you how to provide developmentally appropriate primary care.

Healthy Steps activities include:

• An extended visit with your continuity patient’s during which you will work collaboratively with Debbie Lindgren, a developmental specialist, in providing support and resources to families
• Learning Teachable Moments and a parent-child directed approach
• Developmental and social screenings and referral
• Postpartum depression screening and referral
• Parent Group
• Daycare Visits
• Home Visits
• Lectures on child development and Family Centered Care

Read More

 

REACH OUT AND READ PROGRAM: Yacktman General Pediatric Clinic hosts the nationally acclaimed “Reach Out And Read” program which distributes a developmentally appropriate book at all well child visits from 6 months to 4 years. The program increases literacy awareness for your young patients and their familiesRead More



GUATEMALAN MEDICAL MISSION: Each February, a multidisciplinary group of physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff travel to Guatemala for two week trip. Make-shift clinics are set up to help both parents and children in remote villages. For many Guatemalans, this may be the only opportunity they have each year to receive medical care. If a pediatric resident chooses to participate on this trip, it counts as an outside elective and does not detract from his or her vacation time.



WAUKEGAN CLINIC: Every Thursday afternoon, residents and attendings provide free physical exams and vaccines for children at an elementary school in the northern suburb of Waukegan. Most of the children in this medically underserved community are recent immigrants and need these services in order to begin school. A collaboration with the Rosalind Franklin University Medical School, the Waukegan Clinic provides a healthy start to children and their families.