The ACCORDS Child Program has had a direct policy impact on both the state and national level particularly in increasing vaccination for preventable diseases and increasing access to care for low-income children. The Child Program of ACCORDS has prioritized research efforts at both the state and national level in the following areas based on their importance to child health and capacity for improvement: vaccine preventable diseases, healthcare quality and comparative effectiveness, oral health, obesity/nutrition, children with special health needs, asthma and pulmonary health, maternal/fetal health, and injury/violence. Researchers at The ACCORDS Child Program have testified to the Colorado State legislature and presented data to national policy groups concerning a number of healthcare issues. Additionally, members of the progam team are active members of administrative committees that determine the safety of pharmaceuticals and successful health care practices. Perhaps most importantly, our program has been highly successful in publishing outcomes research in nationally prominent journals that are read by those involved in health care policy and health care delivery. Thus, translational research conducted here is directly affecting health care delivery and child health outcomes.
Nationally, research from The ACCORDS Child Program including Drs. Allison Kempe and Matthew Daley have presented findings regarding vaccine research to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a body appointed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to provide advice and guidance to the Secretary for Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases. The results of these presentations have affected decisions regarding vaccine guidelines for children and adults.
Drs. Kempe and Bunik have presented to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), an independent, nonprofit organization within the National Academy of Sciences that provides unbiased and authoritative advice to governmental decision makers and the public. ACCORDS researchers have presented information to the IOM regarding national immunization delivery issues, obesity prevention/nutrition, WIC (Women, infants and children) and breastfeeding that have directly affected policy recommendations in these areas.
Dr. Morrato serves as a member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee which advises the FDA on pharmaceutical safety evidence and risk mitigation strategies.
Locally, COR has also conducted important work evaluating the effectiveness of the State Child Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) and barriers to enrolment into the program for low-income children. Results of multiple studies have not only affected policy through publications aimed at a national audience, but have been the basis of testimonies to the Colorado legislature at critical times when appropriation decisions were being made. Locally, researchers of the ACCORDS Child Program are active participants in the community engagement portion of the CCTSI (Partnerships for Academic and Community Translation "PACT") and The Children’s Hospital’s Center for Clinical and Operational Excellence to improve health care quality.