Core to the mission of Genesis Health Consulting is our belief that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive. For children to thrive in our society, they need healthy, supportive relationships with adults and healthy, safe, enriching environments in which to learn and grow. Increasingly though, our children experience different opportunities for health based on where they live, which sets them – and our society as a whole – on a path for disparities in health outcomes

Research proves what our common sense already knows: the biggest factors that affect our health are our daily choices and experiences. Health care systems that are able to seamlessly integrate these “social factors” into their care delivery and reimbursement strategies will be significantly more effective in managing health, improving experience, and creating value for their customers. We know this first-hand after leading the development, implementation and assessment of an

I have had the privilege of serving as a pediatrician for nearly twenty years, and have encountered dozens of children and families who have deeply impacted me. Their stories fuel my drive to transform systems to those that truly produce, sustain and enable health. Cris’ is one of those stories. Cris* is a 13-month-old adorable child who is the third of four siblings all younger than 6 years. I first met Cris and his mother Tanya* when they came for a follow-up appointment f

In the past decade, the explosion of data collection, analysis and mining tools have created tremendous improvements in our understanding of various influences on health such as place, trauma and health-related behaviors. The promise of “big data” – extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions – to also inform how healthcare identifies, profiles and stratifi

America’s steady transition to value-based care is reframing a critical influencer of health – social determinants – from a mission-driven investment to a business imperative. This evolution is fueled by recent decisions to “count” social health care as a covered benefit in public and private insurance programs. Why does this matter? It shifts expectations. Incorporating social health as a reimbursable service goes some way to normalizing the practice and expense of this care

Decades of neuroscientific and behavioral research has demonstrated that early experiences influence all future learning and greatly impact overall health. In the first few years of life, nerve cells in our brains make more than 700 connections per second, and these connections are created, reinforced or eliminated based on the stimulus we receive as infants. An animated illustration of the relationship between stimuli, brain development and well-being is presented in this

From the time that a child enters preschool or kindergarten, to their eventual graduation and transition to adulthood, the school environment is the constant, formative experience of childhood, and a leading influencer of child health and well-being. At the most basic of levels, schools are the primary convener of children for the purposes of growth and development. Though stakeholders in child health have recognized for decades the potential for greater integration and colla

In a world where the overwhelming majority of medical research, medical care, and medical spending is tied to adults, kids are sometimes overlooked. The reminder that “kids are not small adults” is repeated often for a reason. Ensuring that kids receive the safest and most effective care requires understanding and attention to risk factors that are unique to children. Our overall health is shaped by many factors, which are often described as the interplay between individual,