Improving Children's Health Together
In the past 10+ years, NICHQ has reached thousands of pediatric and family practices and worked with city, state, and federal leaders to improve healthcare systems that affect millions of children (and adults) across a broad spectrum of geographic and socioeconomic boundaries.
NICHQ stemmed from the vision of a team of pediatric and public health leaders who saw a critical need to improve children’s healthcare so all children receive high-quality services. This vision came to light in 1999 when NICHQ was formed—with start-up funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation—as a program of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). NICHQ incorporated as an independent not-for-profit organization in July 2002.
Led since its founding by Dr. Charles Homer, NICHQ has been effective in both raising awareness about the potential for dramatic improvement in children’s healthcare and helping change actual system performance. That original vision continues and has expanded beyond clinical settings to include a focus on many other social and community determinants of children’s health.
NICHQ’s mission is to improve children's health. Our vision is a world in which all children achieve their optimal health.
NICHQ's current projects are focused on the following areas:
> Breastfeeding Support in Hospitals
> Childhood Obesity
> Family-Centered Medical Home
> Reducing Infant Mortality
> Sickle Cell Disease
