Clinical Scholar thought leaders are among the investigators seeking to improve the quality of health care delivered to children in the United States.
This special issue of Pediatrics celebrates the contributions of RWJF's Clinical Scholars to the national discourse regarding the measurement and improvement child health care quality.
Their research addresses the increasing prominence of child health work as part of the national quality agenda.
This year the Clinical Scholars program marks a major milestone—having been sustained for 40 years by RWJF. It began in the late 60s at a casual meeting of physicians of prominent institutions and several foundations after a national meeting. They spoke about the need for opportunities for training in the nonbiological sciences. Established initially at five universities, when RWJF emerged as a national philanthropy in 1972, it grew the program. Some 13 institutions have served as training sites, and RWJF has enjoyed a long-time partnership with the VA. Clinical Scholars have risen to prominence as heads of federal agencies, state health departments, and academic departments and institutions.
Clinical Scholar alumni figure prominently in the Pediatric Quality Measures Program mandated by the Affordable Care Act to assess the quality of children’s health care. The articles in this issue can stimulate the conversation and deepen the understanding of this important issue.
A look inside this special issue of Pediatrics: