Referral and Resource Utilization Among Food Insecure Families Identified in a Pediatric Medical Setting.

OBJECTIVE: Despite increased routine screening for food insecurity (FI) in pediatric medical settings, the uptake of offered food resources after FI identification is not well understood. We aimed to 1) describe utilization of referral and supplemental resources and 2) identify characteristics associated with utilization. METHODS: We linked hospital screening and Electronic Medical Record data to Hunger Free Colorado (HFC) referral data for patients 0 to 18 years who were screened in the emergency department (ED), inpatient, or outpatient setting from January 2017 to December 2018. Among FI families, we compared patient demographic and clinical variables based on acceptance of HFC referral and connection to a food resource using Pearson's chi-square, Wilcoxon rank sum, and Poisson regression. RESULTS: Of 1952 patients with FI, 371 (19%) accepted a referral to HFC and of these 228 (61%) were connected to a food resource. In adjusted analyses, families screened in the ED (adjusted relative risks [aRR] 1.96, confidence interval [CI]: 1.57-2.44) and inpatient (aRR 1.74, CI: 1.20-2.53) settings more often pursued referral to HFC than those screened in Child Health Clinic, while those screened in Special Care Clinic less often pursued referral (aRR 0.24, CI: 0.14-0.41). Families with 3 or more people in the home were more likely to be connected to resources (aRR 2.67, CI: 1.42-5.04). CONCLUSIONS: Only a small proportion of families with FI identified in a medical setting are ultimately connected to food resources. Higher rates of HFC referral among ED and inpatient families suggest that increased screening efforts in these settings may be warranted.

A Student-Led National Conference on Leadership: Broadening the Medical Student Role.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Students have traditionally held a singular role in medical education - the learner. This narrow view neglects students unique perspective and ability to shape the future of medical education. In recognizing the need for deliberate leadership skill development and networking opportunities for medical student leaders, the American Medical Association (AMA) supported the first AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education Student-Led Conference on Leadership in Medical Education. A planning committee of 19 students from seven medical schools collaborated to develop this conference, which took place on August 4-5, 2017 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The primary goal of the conference was for students to learn about leadership skills, connect with other student leaders, feel empowered to lead change, and continue to lead from their roles as students. Attendees participated in a variety of workshops and presentations focused on developing practical leadership skills. In addition, students formed multi-institutional teams to participate on in the MedEd Impact Challenge, attempting to address issues in medical education such as leadership curriculum development, wellness, and culture change. Post-conference surveys showed an overwhelming majority of students connected with other student leaders, shared ideas, developed collaborations, and felt empowered to enact change. Looking forward, we believe that similar student-led conferences focused on broadening the medical student role would provide avenues for positive change in medical education.

Engaging Medical Students in Leadership Development.

Leadership development plays a critical role in preparing collaborative, systems-based physicians. Medical schools across the globe have dedicated significant effort towards programming for medical student leadership development. Students report a variety of existing leadership opportunities, ranging from formal didactics to leadership positions within the community. Students identify lack of time, funding, and the hierarchy of medicine as significant barriers for engaging in leadership opportunities. Students favor a formal leadership curriculum coupled with hands-on opportunities to practice leadership skills. In order to train medical students to be engaged physician leaders, it is imperative to foster practical opportunities for leadership development.