Stressful events during childhood can have a negative impact across the lifespan. But building buffers can help all children thrive.  

Precious Lee has spent her lifetime navigating the health system, first as a patient with SCD and then, after her son Melvin was born with SCD, as a mother. She has lived with the impact of SCD, witnessed significant advancements in care, and intimately knows the barriers families still face. Here, she describes those challenges and elaborates on opportunities for continued improvement.

At the beginning of the year, NICHQ’s staff came together to share the books that have most impacted their understanding of equity and what’s needed to achieve it. Below, we share their top picks with hope that this list will support our readers on their equity journeys.

"Racism is a public health crisis. It harms women, children, fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles across the country. It harms all of us—it has for over 400 years and continues to today." - NICHQ President and CEO Scott Berns shares his priorities for 2020 and beyond. 

Improving health care systems to address persistent health disparities requires partnering with the people those disparities most affect. Only they can accurately describe their experiences and share what barriers they’ve encountered. This is why it's vital to build diversity into patient family advisory councils. 

In honor or our 20th anniversary, we're sharing insights, memories and goals from the NICHQ team. Here, NICHQ Senior Project Director Kenn Harris shares his experience with the Federal Healthy Start Program and encourages organizations to dive deeper when addressing equity.