June/July 2011   Summertime and Improvement Ain’t Easy… But it sure is rewarding! Welcome to the June/July issue of NICHQ News…

Systems Thinking in the World of Quality Improvement “How does improving systems improve the health of children and their families?” asks NICHQ COO and Executive Project Director Rachel Steele. In this month's NICHQ Leadership Message, Ms. Steele reflects on the importance of systems in NICHQ's mission and daily work.

Healthy Weight Collaborative Teams Announced   Ten high-performing Teams, one from each HRSA region, will be participating in the Phase One Healthy Weight Collaborative. These teams will bring together public health, primary care, and community-based organizations to reverse the obesity epidemic and promote health equity in their communities.

New Videos Document Successes in the Be Our Voice Project Be Our Voice seeks to reverse childhood obesity by training and supporting healthcare professionals in becoming advocates for change within their communities, beginning with eight communities in the Southern US. We are pleased to share videos of the progress made and successes achieved in each of these communities.

Toolkit for the Follow-up of Premature Infants Released This kit is designed to improve the care and outcomes of premature infants by helping healthcare providers assist in the transition from hospital to outpatient care. The kit was developed by MedImmune over the last five years with assistance from NICHQ.

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