Population Health
There are many ways to partner with CHOC to enhance the health and well-being of children in our community.
Every parent in Orange County wants their child to have access to high-quality healthcare, wellness programs and education. To make this equity-driven vision a reality, the CHOC Population Health department brings together physicians, healthcare workers, schools, nonprofit organizations and volunteers to dedicate resources and expertise that improve health outcomes for local children and families, especially those in our most vulnerable communities. From board-certified pediatric nurses providing mobile healthcare services in underserved neighborhoods to school-based coping resources teaching kids how to relieve stress, we provide services to forward our mission of ensuring every Orange County child can get comprehensive, high-quality healthcare.
Alongside CHOC’s Population Health Research Program, few organizations offer the variety of proactive and evidence-based community health programs that we proudly do. We seek to support whole-child and whole-family health by aiding many wellness areas, including physical and mental health, family relationships, academics, nutrition, transition to adult care and more.
CHOC Population Health programs advance our goal to make Orange County the healthiest county in the U.S. Whether you want to explore our programs for your family, school or community, help in our growth, volunteer or donate, there are many ways to help make this goal a reality.
Adolescent to Adult Bridge Program (A2B). The Adolescent to Adult Bridge program helps patients and families transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. Supporting this transition equips adolescents and their families with the confidence and education to be prepared as they move from a child-centered model of care to an adult-focused approach.
Adopt-A-School. Our Adopt-a-School program connects CHOC Primary Care Network practices with specific schools to expand the reach to medical and wellness access. Support includes educational assistance, fitness and nutrition, public health support, career guidance and more.
Clinic Care Coordination Redesign. The Care Coordination Redesign team works with CHOC clinics to identify opportunities to improve patient care environments so that these facilities can offer better, more efficient, higher quality care to all patients.
Community Education. CHOC’s Community Education department provides evidence-based programs that promote the health and well-being of students. Trained community educators offer group talks on topics such as healthy choices, career building, physical education, mindfulness and stress management.
844-GET-CHOC Nurse Advice Line. CHOC offers families a 24/7 nurse advice line at 844–GET–CHOC to provide free access to professional medical advice. It is the only service of its kind in California and is monitored by CHOC RNs with years of pediatric nursing experience. In appropriate clinical situations, the Advice Nurses can connect a patient and family to an on-demand telehealth visit as well.
Help Me Grow. The Help Me Grow team and call center connect caregivers to services that improve the development, behavior and learning of children under age nine in Orange County and the surrounding communities.
OC Children’s Screening Registry. The OC Children’s Screening Registry is an online database that helps healthcare and community physicians locate developmental and adverse childhood experiences screening data for individual children. It also provides links to referral resources for kids identified with special needs and enables documentation for county-level screening rates and risks for children in Orange County.
School Nurse Medical Record/Single Plan of Care Access. Our program gives school nurses access to CHOC electronic medical records, allowing them to view a summary of a student’s medical information (with parental consent). With this information, school nurses can participate as a valued member of the care team.
Wellness on Wheels. Wellness on Wheels is a mobile neighborhood and community-based pediatric wellness program that provides underserved families with access to high-quality pediatric healthcare, focusing primarily on asthma, obesity and mental health. WoW also regularly participates in health and resource fairs at local schools and community sites.
WellSpaces. The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), CHOC and generous donors have teamed up with local school districts to create WellSpaces on school campuses. These tranquil spaces allow students to relax, learn mindfulness and develop self-regulation and coping skills.
Partner with Us
CHOC is excited to partner with you to support all domains of pediatric health and well-being, including physical, mental, psychosocial and academic. We invite you to connect with our Community Clinical Outreach team to identify and engage in the combination of offerings that best meets the needs of your school or organization. We are also open to your ideas and suggestions for potential CHOC offerings that are not listed here.
Volunteer with Population Health
The children, families, schools and communities that participate in CHOC’s Population Health programs thrive thanks to the volunteers who offer their time and talent to move our mission forward. Learn how you can get involved in Population Health and other programs at CHOC.
Population Health Research
At the CHOC Research Institute, we conduct population health research that addresses health outcomes of the pediatric and adolescent populations in Orange County and beyond, so that we can develop preventative care and intervention models to proactively improve health disparities.
Support Population Health
Access to high-quality healthcare and wellness programs is essential to move us toward our goal of healthy communities. And this future starts with healthy children. Your gift is an investment in the ability of our population health team to create, sustain and grow programs like WellSpaces and Wellness on Wheels that help kids and families find wellness.
What is population health?
Population health refers to healthcare programs, solutions or strategies designed to improve the overall health of a specific group. At CHOC, this group generally consists of underserved families within the greater Orange County region.
Why is population health important?
Population health programs help to provide all community members with preventative and real-time healthcare access, education, services, interventions and more. With equity at the core, population health allows people within any demographic to enjoy healthy, happy lives.
Why is population health for children and families important?
By offering families from all backgrounds access to high-quality healthcare, mental health services, nutrition education, wellness resources and more, population health programs can create a solid foundation of health for children and their families today and into the future.
Why are healthcare groups like CHOC involved in population health?
As trusted community leaders and medical experts, the physicians, researchers and other medical professionals tied to area healthcare organizations ensure that population health programs are evidence-based, useful, valuable and fit their community’s unique needs.
What is an example of population health?
There are many kinds of population health programs. Common examples include:
- Mindfulness programs
- Classroom and after-school programs
- Preventative healthcare
- Healthcare equity
- Research and data analysis
- Nutritional support and education
- Healthcare and wellness access
- Patient care coordination
What are the components of population health?
Successful population health management will combine multiple key components into their strategy to boost positive health outcomes and deliver wider access to health and wellness programs within a community. While they can vary, these components often include:
- Research and data collection
- Disease prevention
- Early healthcare intervention
- Community engagement
- Nutritional education
- Care management
- Physical education
- Equity initiatives
- Local partnerships and collaborations
What is the difference between population health and public health?
Population health and public health are two different healthcare concepts, though they can overlap.
Public health primarily promotes positive health outcomes through prevention programs for an entire population, up to a national or global scale. Typically, the programs are developed to support issues like disease control, environmental issues, nutrition and emergency preparedness.
Population health usually meets people wherever they are in their healthcare journey. Population health programs also target a more specific population based on geography, socioeconomic status or a specific medical condition.
In short, public health broadly focuses on preventative healthcare, while population health helps specific populations access high-quality healthcare and related services. Both rely on outreach, fundraising, research and community support.