Meet Our Medical Advisory Board Member Dr. Carolyn Foster
“I want to improve the delivery of care to kids and families who have the most significant medical needs.”
Dr. Carolyn Foster is a physician and researcher who has dedicated her career to improving the care and quality of life for children with complex medical needs and their families.
Therefore, serving on the Medical Advisory Board (MAB) for the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) was a natural fit.
Foster joined the board in 2020. She brings her perspective as a provider as well as 15-plus years of research focused on home health care for children with complex medical needs.
“I was acutely aware from my own patients of the role DSCC played in helping them,” Foster said. “I felt I could bring my experiences as a health services researcher and my understanding of how we evaluate healthcare services and what we know about kids with complex medical needs.”
Foster is currently an attending physician at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in advanced general pediatrics and primary care. She is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Her research centers on developing and evaluating healthcare delivery interventions and healthcare policies for children with medical complexity and disability. The purpose is to maximize health outcomes for these children and improve how well their family members and caregivers navigate their systems of care.
Foster is particularly interested in improving both the access to and the quality of home and community- based health care for children to help them live safe, independent and full lives at home, school and beyond.
“I had a family member who had a health condition that impacted her experience in the day-to-day world, and it motivated me to be a physician. When I was in training, I appreciated this tool of using health services research to improve how we deliver care,” she said.
“I want to improve the delivery of care to kids and families who have the most significant medical needs. There is an ongoing gap in how we serve that population, so I want to put my effort there… This patient population deserves a voice, and I’m hoping to further emphasize that.”
Foster said she appreciates DSCC’s work to shed light on these issues statewide. She is happy to help advise and cheer on these efforts.
“Having a child who has a special healthcare need or disability or complex medical problem is really challenging because the health care, education and community resources are not always talking to one another,” she said.
“DSCC is one of those key programs in the state of Illinois that really provides an important function in making it a little easier for families by helping with care coordination and getting what they need for their child.”
Learn more about Foster’s latest research study below:
Leadership and Education Opportunity for Caregivers Living with Complex Medical Needs
National Consumer Scholars can develop leadership skills and share their experiences to help improve care and services for people with complex health and social needs
A leadership development program is available for caregivers and advocates who live with and/or care for someone with complex medical needs.
The Camden Coalition is accepting applications for its 2023-24 National Consumer Scholars program.
In the National Consumer Scholars program, caregivers and advocates can take part in peer-led leadership development activities. They play an active role in the coalition’s annual conference and bring lessons back to their local communities. Consumer Scholars also work alongside Camden Coalition staff to develop and inform the complex care field.
National Consumer Scholars have firsthand experience living with and/or caring for someone with complex health and social needs. They also have experience working as a consumer/patient advisor/advocate and/or community leader.
The program is open to individuals from across the country who represent many different experiences.
Learn more about the program and how to apply on the National Consumer Scholars program website.
The application deadline is May 31.
For more information, contact Evelyne Kane at ekane@camdenhealth.org.