Pediatric Primary Health Care: The Central Role of Pediatricians in Maintaining Children’s Health in Evolving Health Care Models
Alexy Arauz Boudreau, Alex Hamling, Edward Pont, Thomas W. Pendergrass, Julia E. Richerson
Abstract
Pediatric primary health care (PPHC) is of principal importance to the health and development of all children, helping them reach their true potential. Pediatricians, as the clinicians most intensively trained and experienced in child health, are the natural leaders of PPHC within the context of the medical home. Given the rapidly evolving models of pediatric health care delivery, including the explosion of telehealth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, pediatricians, together with their representative national organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), are the most capable clinicians to guide policy innovations on both the local and national stage.