Health Equity Academic Research in Pediatric Hospital Medicine (HEAR-PHM) Program - Project Summary/Abstract The Health Equity Academic Research in Pediatric Hospital Medicine (HEAR-PHM) Program will build capacity to address disparities across the acute care continuum by both delivering a health equity research curriculum to pediatric hospitalists and supporting a diverse academic workforce within Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM). Disparities have been identified across the spectrum of care and conditions for the hospitalized child. Although responses to address disparities in pediatric care need to be multi-factorial, key strategies include developing expertise in health equity research and fostering a more diverse academic workforce. A dedicated focus on increasing diversity in the pediatric workforce has been identified as a national priority. Cultural make- up of the United States is changing, and data from the US Census Bureau projects by 2060 only one-third of US children will be non-Hispanic white. Developing and maintaining a diverse academic pediatric workforce is an important aspect to improve health outcomes in populations underrepresented in medicine (URiM). PHM is a young subspeciality that has opportunities to address health inequities for hospitalized children and needs specialized health equity research training. To address this critical gap, HEAR-PHM seeks to: 1) Prepare PHM scholars (fellows and junior faculty) to lead health equity research in the care of hospitalized children. The scholars will be equipped with a background in health equity research skills, and support completion of an impactful, rigorous capstone research project focus on child health equity; 2) Enhance the diversity of PHM scholars. We will recruit URiM scholars from a national applicant pool, with attention to diversity in clinical and academic backgrounds, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and sex/gender preference; 3) Build a repository of health-equity research resources to support the train-the-trainer model for PHM scholars. We will develop an online platform to support the health-equity research lectures, develop a toolkit for scholars to train others, and provide opportunities for scholars to share their experiences and knowledge locally and nationally. Children’s National Hospital (CNH) is well-position to lead this national program as it is one of the oldest and largest PHM programs in the country, and CNH has long-standing expertise in medical education, translational research, and community-based programs. HEAR-PHM program directors are national PHM leaders with strong reputation as educators and researchers, and program scholars will leave the program with enhanced health equity research capabilities related to the mission of NICHD.
