FAN Mail: Quarter 4 2024

Dear FAN Reps,

This edition of FAN mail has news stories about FAN Reps, new resources from EMSC and our partners, and several calls to action. We are so proud of the excellent work you have been doing, and we're excited to share your successes. 2024 has been a fantastic year. Thank you for being a part of our community!

Happy reading,

Sarah and Jennifer

News and Updates

EMSC/FAN news & updates

Have you seen our recent Pulse updates about FAN Reps? New Mexico FAN Reps Katherine Schafer and Chad Kim shared the incredible work they've been doing!
EMSC launched the Pediatric Disaster Checklist for Hospitals.
Several EMSC-funded investigators contributed to an article showing that high levels of pediatric readiness could save up to 2,143 children's lives per year and is cost effective. The New York Times also published a piece on this study.
EMSC-funded investigators have also published an article on the impact of being pediatric ready on life expectancy and quality-adjusted life years.
The EIIC Communications team created a checklist to help you use plain language.
On October 29, Utah FAN Rep Jeffrey Wilson and his son, John, received the Spirit of Service Award from the governor of Utah. Congratulations Jeff and John on your fantastic work and advocacy!

Upcoming events

FAN Steering Committee Meeting - January 9, 2025 3-4 pm ET on Zoom
All FAN Meeting - February 6, 3-4 pm ET on Zoom
FAN Steering Committee Meeting - March 6, 3-4 pm ET on Zoom
FAN Steering Committee Meeting - April 3, 3-4 pm ET on Zoom

New resources

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently updated their guidance for families around caring for themselves during and after a hurricane.
The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units have created a resource guide for families experiencing flooding.
Do you have questions about Medicaid waivers and Kate Beckett programs in your state? Check out Kids' Waivers for information!
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital created a recorded discussion on pediatric suicide recognition and intervention for parents.
The Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN) recently released an episode of their Ready Prep Go! podcast that helps families prepare for disasters.
The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs has released a podcast on the importance of creating a care map for a child. They also interviewed Illinois FAN Rep, Susan Agrawal, for a podcast about her experience during a disaster as a parent and advocate for children with medical complexities.
The American Public Health Association created an educational video for families titled "Distinguishing Advocacy, Lobbying, and Education."
The Boston University School of Social Work has released recordings of their Future of Care for Children With Medical Complexity Virtual Café Series.

2024 Year in Review

It's time to celebrate and reflect on all the wonderful national work FAN Reps have done. In 2024 FAN Reps:

Participated in two Family Engagement in Systems Assessment Toolkit focus groups
Created a FAN Strategic Plan for 2025-29
Recorded eight FAN Reps reflections on their emergency and disaster experiences
Featured ten FAN Reps state level work in the Pulse
Published four FAN newsletters
Held four All FAN Meetings with topics selected by the FAN Reps
Completed the FAN Pulse survey to give direction and prioritization to 2024 work
Created a FAN Project list to help share project resources across states
Laid the groundwork for FAN Affinity Groups
Participated in nine research requests from partner organizations
Provided updates for the FAN website
Began planning for the 2025 Grantee Meeting
20 FAN Reps were involved in EIIC and PPN domains

Congratulations on these accomplishments and all the incredible work the FAN Reps have done at the state level as well! The EIIC, the EMSC Data Center, the EMSC State Partnership Program, and PECARN are grateful to all the FAN Reps for their dedication to this work and their generosity with their time.

Action Items

Parent/Caregiver Research Opportunity

Please consider sharing your thoughts on important questions for behavioral health with EMSC's clinical research network, PECARN. If you are a parent or guardian of a child or adolescent who received acute emergency care for a mental or behavioral health condition within the last ten years, click here to learn more about the survey. Responses are due by December 31.

Advocating for Pediatric Readiness

Do you have ideas about how you can best advocate for pediatric readiness in your community? What resources would you need to help educate others about pediatric readiness? Send your ideas to Jennifer by December 31.

2025 Grantee Meeting Planning

It's time to start planning the 2025 All Grantee Meeting, which will be held in Cleveland, OH from August 12-14, 2025. Please send your session ideas and general requests for the meeting to Jennifer by December 13.

We Want to Hear From You!

What other organizations would you like to collaborate with in 2025?

Title V Programs

Family Voices

Institute for Patient and Family-Centered Care

The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs

All of the Above

Questions? Comments? News to share? Want to join the FAN Newsletter mailing list? Email us!

Visit the FAN page >>

The EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award (U07MC37471) totaling $3M with 0 percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

Family Advisory Network Representatives (FAN Reps) are the core of EMSC's family engagement strategy. To learn more about being or becoming a FAN Rep, please contact Jennifer Talley.

Connect with us on social media

Share This Email