True health equity means that every person has access to care, plain and simple. At Boston Children’s Hospital we’re expanding access on several levels: through patient-focused programs as well as introducing students to careers in health care. In the end, we’re meeting patients’ needs while also fostering a generation of health care leaders that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

Kevin Simon, MD, MPH

Pediatric Addiction Medicine Psychiatrist, Boston Children’s Hospital
Chief Behavioral Health Officer, City of Boston

City-wide support for children’s mental health

Children’s mental and behavioral health was already in a state of crisis when the COVID-19 pandemic sent children and families into an extended period of social isolation. When rates of infection finally started to drop, families and healthcare providers faced a secondary health care crisis: a surge of children and teens in critical need of mental and behavioral care at a rate that outpaced available resources.

Dr. Kevin Simon is at the forefront of addressing these challenges. Earlier this year, he and other healthcare leaders announced two major initiatives that aim to expand services and improve young people’s mental and behavioral health in the City of Boston. 

The state of mental and behavioral health in Boston youth

To address a problem, you have first to understand it. Released in March 2024, the Health of Boston Mental Health Report revealed that 40 percent of Boston children and adolescents have persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Developed in collaboration with the Boston Public Health Commission, the report notes that Black, Hispanic/Latino, and LGBTQ+ youth are particularly hard hit — and often have a harder time finding care. 

The numbers are alarming, particularly for mental health professionals committed to health equity. “As a community, we must prioritize inclusive policies, invest in underserved areas, and foster collaboration across sectors to achieve this goal,” says Dr. Simon. 

Investing in the future

To that end, Dr. Simon was also instrumental in helping secure $21 million in transformative funding to expand access to mental and behavioral health services while increasing and diversifying mental health staff in Boston Public Schools (BPS). Over the next five years, these investments will serve more than 50,000 students, directly impact 21 BPS schools, support over 600 people pursuing behavioral health careers, grow and diversify the mental health staff at BPS, and provide behavioral health training to more than 1,000 individuals to better serve youth and families in Boston.

“We are investing in a future in which every child has access to the care and support they need to flourish,” he says.

Amanda Grice

Program Director, Office of Health Equity and Inclusion, Boston Children’s Hospital

A healthcare workforce that reflects the communities it serves

As the saying goes, you can’t be what you can’t see. If a high school student, for instance, doesn’t see a career path in health care, they’re unlikely to enter the field. Amanda Grice is working to change this.

In collaboration with Boston Children’s departments and community organizations, she has made it her mission to inspire students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in pediatric care. In doing so, she’s laying groundwork for a more diverse workforce.

Pathways into health care and STEM careers

Starting at the high school level, Grice is a driving force behind Boston Children’s Building Careers in Health and STEM Program. A collaborative effort between Human Resource and the Office of Health Equity and Inclusion, the annual weeklong program exposes local students to careers in health care. Students interact with professionals in any number of the roles essential to Boston Children’s daily operations: not just doctors and nurses but professionals in areas like IT, HR, and music therapy as well.

Grice also supports career pathway programs for premedical students from underrepresented backgrounds and first-generation college students. Each year, she and Boston Children’s physicians and senior leaders collaborate with Boston College to recruit pre-med students into Boston Children’s Scribe and Mentoring for Premedical Students (SCRIPT) Program. Students learn how to become medical scribes as they observe physicians deliver care and receive mentorship that can help launch their medical careers.

“Seeing students grow and helping them take the next step in their careers is a really rewarding experience,” says Grice, who not only mentors students directly but also recruits physician mentors from many different pediatric specialties across Boston Children’s.

Removing barriers on the path to health equity

The inclusive excellence fostered by Boston Children’s career pathway programs is good for everyone involved. By exposing traditionally underrepresented high school and college students to health care and STEM, the programs are removing barriers that have perpetuated health inequities for generations. Over time, as more caregivers from diverse backgrounds and communities enter the field, patients will increasingly encounter an inclusive healthcare workforce that reflects their communities.