(CPTI) started in 1997 at CHW/MCW and has evolved into a national program within the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2000, this initiative was funded by the Dyson Foundation to impact pediatric residency training programs and career choices of individual pediatric residents. The goal of CPTI is to better prepare future pediatricians to serve families from traditionally underserved communities. Each year twenty-two pediatric residents and other professionals rotate through the CPTI administered from the Center. The four educational objectives are: 1) expansion of assessment and awareness of the social determinants of health; 2) provision of culturally-sensitivity, family-centered and community-based care that utilizes the assets of the community; 3) implementation of surveillance to identify emerging health threats for children and 4) development of skills in child advocacy across all sectors and geographic levels. Gaining greater competencies in child advocacy, professionalism and cultural-sensitivity, practice-based improvement and system-based improvements supports educating future pediatricians through experiences that allow them:
Pediatric residents are encouraged to examine the roles that pediatricians can assume when it comes to schools, childcare, child welfare, food/economics security, public policy and to explore the efficacy and effectiveness of various programs in these sectors. Pediatric residents, working with community partners, have implemented more than 30 community initiatives related to access to comprehensive care, adolescent health, child advocacy, environmental and public health. Consistently, ongoing local evaluation of CPTI shows that community experiences have significantly improved pediatric residents’ competencies in child advocacy, cultural competencies, system-based practice as well as expanded their knowledge of the impact of poverty on children and families. This program, in addition to nine other pediatric residency training programs is undergoing a national evaluation the Dyson Initiative National Evaluation (DINE) the Johns Hopkins University; Bloomberg School of Public Health.