Tag Archive for: Community partnerships

Desiree de la Torre

Desiree de la Torre named to The Daily Record’s 2018 VIP List

Desiree de la Torre

Desiree de la Torre, MPH, MBA, director of Community Affairs and Population Health Improvement at Children’s National, has been named one of The Daily Record’s 2018 VIP List — Very Important Professionals Successful by 40 awards.

The VIP List recognizes professionals 40 years of age and younger who have been successful in Maryland. Winners, chosen by a panel of previous VIP List honorees and business leaders, were selected on the basis of professional accomplishments, community service and commitment to inspiring change.

“I’m so happy to be selected as a 2018 Very Important Professionals (VIP) Successful by 40 winner,” says Desiree. “My parents instilled in me the importance of hard work, giving back to my community and a commitment to inspiring change – exactly what this award is about! When I first received the news, I called my parents because I owe my success to them.”

As director of Community Affairs and Population Health Improvement at Children’s National, Desiree leads the organization’s community health improvement strategic planning process, including support for community organizations, health equity and compliance with federal and local community benefit regulations. She is responsible for the development of new models of care that improve the health of populations and impact the social determinants of health. This includes multi-sector collaborations with community organizations, schools, government agencies and payers.

Desiree is a member of several local and national councils and associations. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Boston University, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Desiree will be honored along with other awardees at a reception in September, hosted by The Daily Record.

Tonya Kinlow

Children’s National Health System hosts School Health Symposium

Tonya Kinlow

The Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children’s National Health System held its first School Health Symposium, designed to strengthen relationships between the education and health care sectors. Led by Tonya Vidal Kinlow, M.P.A., vice president of Community Engagement, Advocacy and Community, Children’s National welcomed more than 150 regional health and education partners, community members and Children’s National staff to support the mission of helping kids grow up stronger.

In a day of panel discussions and breakout sessions, education, government and health professionals tackled the many societal challenges children face. The panel discussions at this year’s symposium focused on the following topics:

  • Caring for the whole child using a trauma-informed approach
  • Children’s National regional school-based programs
  • Local government role in school health
  • How a health system advocates for school health
  • How organizations are working with schools to address the social determinants of health

Participants also had the option to attend one of the following breakout sessions:

  • Mental wellness & self-care for school and health care professionals
  • School-based research: engaging families, empowering students
  • How an anchor institution is addressing the social determinants of health
  • School health legislation update

Outreach programs focused on strong community partnerships were recognized for serving diverse communities including infants and their caregivers, primary care clinicians, high school students, child care providers and teachers. Three programs were chosen as recipients for the Community Health Improvement Award through an application process where a panel of judges with expertise in public health and policy evaluated against an established criteria set.

“Our Community Health Improvement Awards recognize all efforts to conduct community outreach programs and shape public policies that benefit children and families in the Washington D.C.  area,” says Kurt Newman, M.D., president and CEO of Children’s National. “The award also recognizes the physicians and clinicians here at Children’s who go above and beyond to provide quality care to kids and their families.”

This year’s recipients actively play a role in contributing to school health:

The School Health Symposium was followed by a networking reception to allow participants an opportunity to connect with colleagues and discuss the sessions.