Dyson Initiative Child Advocacy Resident Education (CARE) Program

Golisano Children's Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center is one of the 10 institutions awarded a multi-million dollar grant from the Dyson Foundation to promote pediatric training in the community. Under the Dyson Initiative, a unique Child Advocacy Resident Education (CARE) track and electives for second and third year residents was implemented to further develop partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs) in projects that teach residents and benefit children. Positions are offered at the R2 and R3. The ultimate goal of the program is to create a new generation of pediatricians who will have the skills necessary to improve the health of children at the community level. Our Pediatric Links with the Community track is an award-winning program that is now entering its eighth year of teaching pediatric residents and medical students about community-based health care and nurturing their advocacy for the health of children in Rochester, NY.

Curriculum

R1 Year

PLC R​otation (all pediatric and medicine-pediatric residents)

• Two-week rotation
• Exclusively in the community
• Medical care and health education for underserved children
• Broad-based exposure to community resources and organizations (approximately 16 to 20 different CBOs)

R2 and R3 Years

CARE Track (2-year track for interested R2s)
One half day per week to achieve the following:

• Child Health Advocacy Project with a local CBO
• Health Care/Health Education at a community site
• Monthly CARE Seminars:
  • Child Health Policy
  • Child Health in the Community
• Travel to Child Health Advocacy Meeting
• CARE Electives (2- to 4-week electives in the community)
  Community project designed with community and university faculty mentors

All Years

• Conferences/Lecture Series:
  • Monthly Advocacy Noon Conferences
  • Annual Dyson Day with Grand Rounds and resident presentations
  • Monthly CARE Seminar Series
  • Training in cultural competency and Rapid Ethnographic Assessment (REA) techniques
• Child Advocacy Library (books, journals, and videos on the health of children)
• PLC/CARE website (references, updates, and links with other child advocacy websites)
• Resident Child Advocacy Interest Group (monthly meetings led by interested residents)