Reshaping primary care: the Healthy Steps Initiative

The Healthy Steps Initiative, funded by the Commonwealth Fund in New York and developed and implemented by Boston University School of Medicine, is an enhanced approach to pediatric care in the first 3 years of life. The goals of this effort in transforming pediatric care include (a) supporting the physical and emotional development of each infant and young child; (b) supporting a parental sense of confidence in their child-rearing knowledge and skills; and (c) supporting the clinical effectiveness of pediatric primary care practices to meet the needs of young children and families. The Healthy Steps Initiative enhances well-child care to achieve these goals by providing child development information and support as part of an expanded approach to pediatric primary care. Healthy Steps offers both pediatric practices and families a vehicle for meeting the needs of infants and young children within a preventative framework. This unique program, which is being quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated over 3 years, has been initiated in more than 24 pediatric sites nationwide.