Vermont has been recognized as one of the best states for children’s health, according to a community announcement.
Despite challenges such as a rising number of children and families experiencing homelessness and average outcomes in nutrition, physical activity and obesity, the state has excelled in providing access to pediatric care and maintaining a high rate of children covered by health insurance, according to an analysis by Wallethub, a personal finance company, in a nationwide evaluation published earlier this year.
The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital plays a significant role in this achievement. Last year, the hospital and its pediatric providers served tens of thousands of children and families. More than 31,000 pediatric patients were cared for at the Children’s Specialty Center, over 19,000 through primary care visits, and 28,000 well-child visits were conducted. These preventative health appointments involve screening for medical problems, providing health and wellness guidance to parents, ensuring children are up-to-date with immunizations, and monitoring their overall growth and development.
“As the only full-service children’s hospital serving our region, it is important to make sure all children have access to primary care, subspecialty and critical care services,” said Lewis R. First, MD, chief of pediatrics at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital. “That is exactly what we strive to do in providing the highest quality child-friendly family-centered care possible. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of talented physicians, nurses and staff who value the special relationship with our patients and families and the importance of caring and community – that is the key factor in why our health outcomes are ranked so high.”
The hospital’s care quality and access to primary and specialty care have earned numerous awards and recognitions over the past year. The March of Dimes awarded the hospital an ‘A’ grade for perinatal services – making Vermont the only state to achieve an ‘A’ ranking in 2024. This sets a new benchmark for maternal and infant health across the United States.
UVM Children’s Hospital was also named among America’s Best Maternity Hospitals by Newsweek, received an endorsement from the American Diabetes Association for its Pediatric Diabetes clinic, earned the Press-Ganey Human Experience Guardians of Excellence Award, and received the 2024 KidsSafe Collaborative Award for Outstanding Collaboration for its Child Safe Program.
For its list, Wallethub compared 50 states and the District of Columbia across three dimensions: kids’ health and access to health care, kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity, and kids’ oral health. The company used 33 weighted metrics, including death rates, vaccination rates, the percentage of children with health insurance, out-of-pocket costs for doctor’s visits, and the number of pediatricians, family doctors, and children’s hospitals per capita.
The UVM Children’s Hospital’s medical staff includes more than 90 pediatric specialists across 34 areas of specialty pediatric care. The hospital provides care for critically ill infants, promotes healthy growth and development, and offers pediatric intensive care to more than 300 children per year. It also runs a 29-bed, 24/7 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and supports more than 2,000 births per year.
In 2022, the hospital established a Pediatric Advanced Care Team to enhance its care of children with serious, life-limiting illnesses. This team collaborates with parents and providers from labor-delivery through home and hospice care, providing support and assistance in navigating complex medical situations.
“The close collaboration between community hospitals and our perinatal services – both obstetrical and high-risk newborn – are what enable us to standardize our care and quality processes and standards to result in the positive outcomes we achieve,” said Dr. First. “At the same time, making sure families are part of the shared decision-making truly exemplifies our family-centered care approach to high-quality care for all pediatric patients.”
The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital is fully accredited by the Children’s Hospital Association. For more information, visit www.uvmhealth.org/childrens or call 802-847-0000.
This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, [email protected], with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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