In an unprecedented collaboration, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have joined forces to provide virtual health care visits for children at 20 local schools. The selection of schools is based on factors such as absenteeism rates and the number of students with chronic conditions. This innovative initiative, known as the Virtual Care at School program, aims to offer a convenient alternative for children in need of care, allowing them to receive treatment from CHLA specialists without having to miss school.
The program is set to launch on the first day of the 2023-24 school year and will be exclusively available to existing CHLA patients aged 12 and older who attend a participating LAUSD school. Virtual appointments will be offered across various specialty areas, including Adolescent Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Endocrinology, Infectious Diseases, Medical Genetics, and Pulmonology.
Omkar Kulkarni, the Chief Transformation and Digital Officer at CHLA, emphasized the hospital’s commitment to family-centered care and identified frequent school absences and the burden on caregivers attending off-site appointments as pain points for many patient families. The Virtual Care at School program aims to address these challenges effectively.
According to CHLA, telehealth visits have experienced an exponential increase since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While CHLA previously conducted around 470 virtual appointments annually, this number has now skyrocketed to over 42,000 appointments. Officials highlight that utilizing telehealth is particularly advantageous for students, as it allows them to receive necessary care without sacrificing valuable classroom time.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho expressed the district’s proactive approach to supporting the holistic well-being of students, which includes promoting academic excellence, nurturing green spaces, and prioritizing physical and social-emotional health. In his statement, Carvalho applauded the partnership with CHLA, the largest provider of pediatric medical care in Los Angeles County, for not only offering world-class care from specialized professionals but also removing barriers for families by providing virtual care directly at schools. This approach minimizes parental work absences and reduces interruptions to classroom learning. Carvalho concluded by asserting that CHLA is the ideal partner to launch the Virtual Care at School Program.
The following LAUSD schools will serve as pilot sites for the program:
– David Starr Jordan High School;
– Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School;
– Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez High School;
– Francisco Sepulveda Middle School;
– Huntington Park High School;
– James Madison Middle School;
– John C. Fremont High School;
– John H. Francis Polytechnic High School;
– John Marshall High School;
– Los Angeles Academy Middle School STEAM Magnet;
– North Hollywood High School;
– Northridge Academy High School;
– Olive Vista Middle School;
– Panorama High School;
– Phineas Banning Senior High School;
– Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle School;
– Thomas Jefferson High School;
– Vista Middle School;
– William Howard Taft High School; and
– Woodrow Wilson Senior High School.
Scheduling for virtual appointments is now open, and interested individuals can contact CHLA’s virtual care coordinator Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 323-284-3829.
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