Highlights of Our Innovative Services and Outreach

Academic Pediatrics

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Growing Stronger Together

Growing Stronger Together is a podcast for people who care about children and families. The series was developed by faculty at East Tennessee State University, including members of the ETSU Health Department of Pediatrics, the ETSU Center for Early Childhood Learning and Development, and the ETSU Child and Family Health Institute. Financial support for Growing Stronger Together is provided through a Community Health Improvement Site Investment from Ballad Health’s Department of Population Health and through competitive funding from Tennessee Department of Health's Maternal Mortality Prevention program.

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Baby Steps Antenatal Drug Exposure Program

The Baby Steps Clinic, recognized as a Promising Practice by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is for families who have a child exposed to drugs before birth, which can influence growth, development, learning, and behavior. We know families want the best for their child, and the Baby Steps Clinic can help by offering support, assessment, and interventions.The pediatric care team  includes a pediatrician, an audiologist, a speech language pathologist, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a registered dietician, a care coordinator, and a nurse who also serves as a clinic administrator and lactation counselor.
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Caring for Motherhood

Our Caring for Motherhood program focuses on reducing maternal mortality in our region.

Our current goals for this program are to:

  • Disseminate education on maternal mortality prevention (MMP) to providers and community members.
  • Distribute the novel Caring for Motherhood Planner widely in the region.
  • Integrate a care coordination component with Caring for Motherhood.
Program partners include: ETSU Health Obstetrics and Gynecology, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics Clinics; the Ballad Health STRONG Pregnancies/Starts programs; the STRONG ACC; and the Ballad Health-ETSU Strong BRAIN Institute.
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Reach out And Read

During checkups at our ETSU Health Pediatrics Clinics, families receive a developmentally appropriate children's book to take home and advice on reading aloud and sharing books with their child. For more information about the Reach Out and Read program and it's evidence for improving pre-literacy skills in young children
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Once Upon a Time

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. For the past eight years the ETSU Department of Pediatrics has hosted the annual Once Upon a Time Celebration and a Speaker Series in recognition of the month. Event partners have included our Quillen medical student organizations, the Children's Advocacy Center, Niswonger Children's Hospital, and Frontier Health, among others. Check out press coverage from past events here!

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Behavioral Health and Resource Team

Behavioral Health and Resource Team members work side-by-side with pediatricians and nurses to help identify and address patient and family needs using an integrated care model. Team members provide leadership for and receive training through the ETSU Institute for Integrated Behavioral Health.

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Child and Family Health Institute

The ETSU Child and Family Health Institute (CFHI) was founded in 2020 to create ties between the university and community. Teams work on projects to advance knowledge surrounding child and family health. Direction and Coordination of the CFHI are led out of the ETSU Department of Pediatrics. A Collaborative Series featuring speakers on child and family health topics of interest to multidisciplinary professionals and trainees is offered monthly via Zoom.
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Adolescent Healthcare Transitions

At ETSU Pediatrics, we strive to prepare all our adolescents and young adults for the transition to adult healthcare. Whether you are a patient, parent, or provider, we have the resources you're looking for.