Building resilience in families experiencing homelessness through integration of health, parenting and child development programs.

Children who experience homelessness are vulnerable to mental health problems, developmental delays and lower academic achievement. Research suggests that parental health literacy, sensitive parenting behaviour and child self-regulation are modifiable mechanisms that might enhance children's resilience to adversities associated with homelessness, yet empirical evidence on implementing such interventions in shelter settings is limited. Through a coordinated academic-community partnership, this study aimed to examine the (1) feasibility of conducting an integrated health approach in shelter settings and (2) the effectiveness of separate interventions on child and parent outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of best practices in shelter settings and building resilience in families experiencing homelessness with young children.

Launching the Reduction of Peripartum Racial/Ethnic Disparities Bundle: A Quality Improvement Project.

INTRODUCTION: Health care organizations have a responsibility to reduce racial and ethnic perinatal health disparities. In the United States, Black women experience the worst perinatal outcomes. The process for successfully addressing this problem in clinical practice remains unclear. PROCESS: A community hospital implemented components of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Reduction of Peripartum Racial/Ethnic Disparities Patient Safety Bundle. The purpose was to collect and share perinatal disparities data, increase staff awareness of perinatal racial and ethnic disparities, and engage staff to address these disparities at the project site. Perinatal care data were reviewed by race and ethnicity and results were shared with staff. Staff were engaged through a series of activities including a Health Equity Party, implicit bias workshop, Snack and Learn sessions, online modules, 2 grand rounds, and the establishment of a Health Equity Committee. OUTCOMES: Racial and/or ethnic disparities were identified for perinatal outcomes and experience of care indicators including rates of cesarean birth, newborn mortality, and 30-day readmission. Of the staff 137 (65.9%) participated in project activities. The majority of participants were registered nurses (n = 82). Certified nurse-midwives (n = 10) were the profession with the highest rate of attendance (83.3%). Staff developed 26 new recommendations to address racial and ethnic disparities in care. After project implementation, mean scores of High Provider Attribution, an indicator of readiness to address health disparities, increased from preimplementation scores (P = .01). There was also a significant increase in the number of staff who reported engaging in activities to address the health care needs of racial and ethnic minority patients (P < .001). DISCUSSION: This quality improvement project demonstrated that interventions at the health care organization level can be effective in influencing health care providers and staff to address racial and ethnic perinatal disparities.