On February 7, 2022, the Center for Public Justice hosted a webinar featuring Michelle Kirtley, Ph.D., Center for Public Justice Fellow and health policy expert, and 2021 Hatfield Prize Recipients Chenyu Lin and Julie Woodman, Ph.D., (Colorado Christian University) for a conversation on the impact COVID-19 has had on children’s health and what the steps should be going forward.
In this webinar, the panel discussed how the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing challenges and disparities in children’s health, the need to pay closer attention to children’s mental health, and the role of the government and civil society in providing resources that allow families to flourish.
Highlights
In 2019, around 4.4 million children did not have health care coverage. COVID-19 exacerbated the health care inequities that already existed, with low-income populations and children being disproportionately affected. Nine percent of Hispanic children, 14 percent of American Indian children, and five percent of Black children did not have health insurance in 2019, compared to four percent of White children.
As unemployment increased due to COVID, so did the need for health care coverage. Some states responded by expanding eligibility and making it easier to apply for health insurance programs. This resulted in an increased enrollment of 6.2 percent for Medicaid and 5.6 percent for Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Children’s health care must continue to improve beyond the pandemic by addressing the most pressing needs and improving accessibility. Avenues to achieve this could be eliminating enrollment fees, simplifying the application process, making sure CHIP doesn't expire, and increasing telehealth services.
Learn More About the Speakers
Michelle Kirtley, Ph.D., teaches and writes on the intersection of health, policy and bioethics. Michelle worked for six years on Capitol Hill for Congressman Dave Weldon, MD (R-FL) and Congressman John Fleming, MD (R-LA), serving as a science and health policy advisor. Michelle completed her doctorate in cell biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2004) and her undergraduate degree in molecular biology from Princeton University (1996). She lives in Chapel Hill, NC with her husband and four children. She is a former Trustee of the Center for Public Justice, serves as a CPJ fellow, and is the Co-Chair of the Association for Public Justice Board of Directors.
Chenyu Lin is a junior nursing major at Colorado Christian University and intends to pursue her doctorate in nursing practice upon her graduation in 2023. She completed her research for The Hatfield Prize during her sophomore year. Lin desires to be a leader who creates new leaders, seen in her work as a Resident Assistant, Teaching Assistant, and Peer Tutor. She serves as the founder and president of CCU’s Nurses Christian Fellowship, is a World Changers Scholarship recipient, is a member of the Student Advisory Council for Race and Ethnicity, and is a volunteer for International Students, Incorporated. Her passion for promoting holistic health (spiritual, physical, and emotional) was shaped by volunteering with Boys and Girls Club and Street Church. In the future, she hopes to work in the mission field, empowering parents and children to focus on preventing illness and maintaining holistic health. In her free time, she is studying to become a polyglot, loves reading science-fiction, enjoys piecing together puzzles, and loves traveling to new places to learn about different people groups and cultures.
Julie Woodman, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Colorado Christian University where she teaches a variety of biology-based courses, including genetics and microbiology. Julie received her Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Colorado State University. She then received her Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, with research that focused on chromosome dynamics and a genetic disorder called Cornelia de Lange Syndrome. Julie’s additional research interests include the identification of effective methods for STEM teaching and learning in diverse student populations as well as the public health impacts of infectious disease. At CCU, she continues her career in biomedical research while also teaching and mentoring undergraduate students. Julie was born and raised in Colorado, where she currently lives with her husband and their two daughters.
Moderated by Katie Thompson, the Program Director of Shared Justice, the Center for Public Justice's program for Christian college students and young adults. In 2015 Thompson co-authored Unleashing Opportunity: Why Escaping Poverty Requires a Shared Vision of Justice with Michael Gerson and Stephanie Summers. She also serves on behalf of CPJ as a steering committee member of Faith for Just Lending, a coalition dedicated to ending predatory payday lending. Thompson holds a Master’s of Public Policy from The Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at The George Washington University.
Address Children’s Health in Your Community
Inspired by what you’ve watched? Consider starting a Political Discipleship group to brainstorm ways you can help your community. The Center for Public Justice’s Political Discipleship is a guide for active Christian citizenship, designed to empower people with skills and tools to shape policy and address inequality and injustice in their communities. To learn more about starting a group, visit our website or contact katie.thompson@cpjustice.org.
The Hatfield Prize is made possible through the generosity of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. We thank them for their support, but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions presented in these reports are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of these foundations.