HJBR Nov/Dec 2022

52 NOV / DEC 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE CHILDREN’S HEALTH supportive resources go a long way in en- suring that no child falls through the cracks. Children’s Hospital New Orleans has a history of providing financial and medical support to schools across the region, of- fering up to $5 million annually of school resources at no cost to educators, but the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing dis- ruptions showed hospital leaders how much more we could do to address kids’ mental and physical health outside of tra- ditional medical settings. COLUMN CHILDREN’S HEALTH Improving Child Health Outcomes... In the Classroom Through its ThriveKids Student Wellness Project, Children’s Hospital New Orleans functions like a customized student health department for school partners, bringing resources, knowledge, and a comprehensive provider network of over 600 pediatric experts directly to schools and students across the region. In doing so, the program aims to improve both academic and healthcare outcomes for kids. WE KNOW we’re not the academic ex- perts, so if we can partner with schools to offer our healthcare expertise and opera- tional assistance, then we expand access to medical and mental health resources and build standardized systems of support for students, families, and staff that are here to stay for the long run. Breaking down silos and bringing clinics directly to the community through a multi- disciplinary approach makes all the differ- ence, especially for our underserved com- munities. A little extra communication and