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Pivoting to Address Pandemic Needs of Children and Families By Paul Dworkin, MD: By: Paul Dworkin, MD Connecticut Children’s Office for Community Child Health is always committed to strengthening families and communities to promote children’s optimal health, development and well-being. However, we find our mission to be of critical importance now more than
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The Secret to Sustainability By Jacquelyn Rose, MPH: By: Jacquelyn M. Rose, MPH It is the sometimes dreaded, but ever present, S word that is essential for developing and maintaining impact – sustainability. Ensuring sustainability is now more important than ever as organizations everywhere pivot to address the needs of children
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Honoring Jewish American Heritage Month With Kids Jewish American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to teach children about the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. At Connecticut Children’s, we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month and other culture months as part of our journey to
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Beyond a Rare Heart Rhythm Disorder: Kayla’s Story By Dennis Mello, MD: To put it simply: Kayla doesn’t stop. At 16, she plays volleyball year-round, both with her high school varsity team and a national club team. She races motocross. She works two part-time jobs. She’s a National Honor Society student. She’s already thinking about college, law
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Is It Flu or RSV? How to Tell the Difference This blog was originally published in 2023 and has been updated in February 2025. What is RSV? How is it different from the flu? When should I call my pediatrician or seek emergency care? Connecticut Children’s pediatric experts have the answers you need to get through
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Beyond Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Emily’s Story By Shailendra Upadhyay, MD, CEPS, FHRS: A few years ago, they got a double dose: On her final day of recovery from open heart surgery, lifelong patient Emily Glass donned face paint to match Valentine’s, and they made the rounds together. Emily, who is 34 years old, actually has a lot of experience in this area. Since
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A Conversation with Kirsten Carlone on Strengthening Families in North Hartford By Annika Anderson, MPH: In February of 2025, Childhood Prosperity Lab (the Lab) led the second North Hartford Ascend Strengthening Families Protective Factors Community of Practice with 12 service providers and leaders. The Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework (SFPFF) is a research
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A Pioneer, A Mentor, A Friend By Brendan Campbell, MD, MPH: By: Brendan Campbell, MD, MPH and Steven Rogers, MD There will soon be a changing of the guard at Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center (IPC) as the longtime Director Garry Lapidus, PA-C, MPH is transitioning into an exciting new role at Connecticut Children’s. For
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Curly Toes in Kids: 6 Things Parents Should Know By Kristan A. Pierz, MD: Some kids are born with toes flexed down and curled under other toes. This usually occurs in the third, fourth, or fifth toes on both feet. “Curly toes” is an actual condition, and tight tendons pulling the toes downward and inward are to blame. Many parents wonder—how do I know
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Community Health Needs Assessment Priorities We are excited to share our newly published 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment. The report is a bedrock document for Connecticut Children’s and our Office for Community Child Health. It summarizes expansive community health data into concise critical community health needs
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Help Me Grow Forum: “It’s Time to Stand Up for Our Kids!” By: Jacquelyn M. Rose, MPH and Joann Petrini, PhD, MPH The 10th annual Help Me Grow National Forum, co-hosted by the Help Me Grow National Center and Help Me Grow Western New York, featured three days of shared learning and inspiration around best practices to collectively Article
Meet Ashlie: Loving the Switch From Treating Adults to Caring for Kids But her mother, also a nurse at Connecticut Children’s, convinced her to bring her skills to pediatric nursing. Initially nervous about the transition, she now loves working with children and their families, and has advanced both her career and leadership responsibilities through
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5 Tips for Healthy (and Realistic) Meal Planning – Including Travel and Dining Out By Haley Duscha, RDN, CDN: Do you plan your child’s meals and snacks in advance, or wait till it’s almost time to eat? A little bit of planning can help your whole family choose healthy options, save money, have more home-cooked meals… and not spend all day in the kitchen. Here are a few tips to kick-start