HealthySteps program reaches more than 300,000 babies and toddlers in 18 new sites, including three U.S. military bases.
Despite a year beset with primary care practice closures and pediatric visits down substantially during the pandemic, HealthySteps, ZERO TO THREE’S one-of-a-kind pediatric primary care program, announces growth for the fourth consecutive year.
The program integrates a child development professional, the HealthySteps Specialist, into the pediatric primary care team. HealthySteps launched 18 new sites in 2020, and now reaches more than 300,000 families annually.
“When in-person training for new sites abruptly stopped in March, we quickly transitioned to a fully virtual training experience in May, allowing us to make sure families have what they need, survive the pandemic, and truly thrive,” said HealthySteps National Director and clinical psychologist Rahil Briggs.
The HealthySteps network has grown an average of 17% year-over-year since 2017, more than tripling the expected rate of growth. The network now includes more than 250 HealthySteps Specialists at 186 sites in 24 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Notably the program expanded services to Hawaii in 2020, reaching a new population of children and families. HealthySteps Specialists began work in the state to provide universal screenings for families with children ages 0-3 and provide referrals, follow-up, and if needed, intensive services.
HealthySteps’ growth was also fueled by an expansion to U.S. military bases with HealthySteps Specialists at Fort Bragg (Army), Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (Air Force and Navy), and Marine Corps Base-Hawaii.
Other new sites opened in Alabama, Colorado, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. The program continues to scale within large systems, such as Every Child Pediatrics in Colorado and Hopewell Health in Ohio.
HealthySteps is a population-based, team-based model that enhances the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures recommendations. HealthySteps Specialists identify whether children are reaching developmental milestones, help connect families to additional services like early intervention when needed, and answer families’ questions regarding child development and well-being so all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.
HealthySteps focuses on the 6.7 million children and families receiving benefits from Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or who are uninsured. In 2020, the program reached approximately 300,000 children, an enormous stride toward the program’s goal of reaching more than 1 million young children and families annually by 2032.
Learn more about HealthySteps’ growth and impact in the 2020 HealthySteps Annual Report.
New sites opened in 2020 include:
- Branch Health Clinic Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii-Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
- Branch Health Clinic Makalapa, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
- Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Queens, New York
- Charles Henderson Child Health Center, Troy, Alabama
- Community Healthcare Network, Crown Heights, New York
- Every Child Pediatrics, Aurora, Colorado
- Every Child Pediatrics, Denver, Colorado
- Every Child Pediatrics, Lakewood, Colorado
- Hopewell Health Centers – New Lexington Dental & Primary Care Clinic, New Lexington, Ohio
- Hopewell Health Centers – Pomeroy Dental & Primary Care Clinic, Pomeroy, Ohio
- Hopewell Health Centers –Logan Primary Care Clinic, Logan, Ohio
- Joel Pediatric Center of Excellence, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- JPS – School-Based Health Center, Haltom City, Texas
- Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
- NYC Health + Hospitals – Bellevue Hospital Pediatric Clinic, New York City, New York
- Oklahoma State University – Pediatrics, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- University of Maryland Pediatrics at Midtown, Baltimore, Maryland
- University of Rochester Pediatric Practice, Rochester, New York
