2026 CHNA Implementation Strategy

Reduce Transportation Barriers

Children’s will continue to support Kid One Transport, a non-emergent transportation service that helps children and caregivers access pediatric and primary care appointments in more than 50 counties. Transportation support is especially important for rural families, low-income families, and children who require recurring specialty care. Children’s will research interventions and explore new partnerships to improve access for underserved communities and families who face barriers traveling to Children’s facilities including ways to bring interventions closer to families with use of telehealth or mobile health unit options. Children’s will strengthen family navigation and resource education to help parents and caregivers understand available pediatric services, referral pathways, transportation supports, telehealth options, financial assistance resources where applicable, and community-based services. This work may include plain-language materials, digital education, referral pathway information, and coordination among Patient Experience, Patient Financial Services, social work/care coordination, Primary Care Services, Communications, and community partners. Because a‡ordability barriers often extend beyond the direct cost of medical care, Children’s will also work to connect families with transportation, community-based, and public resources that may reduce the practical costs of seeking care, including missed work, travel burden, and di®culty navigating available assistance. Improve Family Navigation Around Affordability and Available Resources

Children’s will continue to strengthen Alabama’s pediatric healthcare workforce through education, clinical training, simulation, and career exposure across the workforce continuum. As the teaching hospital for UAB pediatrics and pediatric surgery, Children’s trains physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, child life specialists, social workers, and other professionals who serve children and families. Children’s will also support earlier career exposure for junior high and high school students, particularly students from underserved and underrepresented communities, through partnerships with educational institutions and workforce development initiatives. During the 2026–2028 implementation period, Children’s workforce pipeline e‡orts may include continued partnerships with UAB, community colleges, four-year institutions, the Birmingham Black Nurses Association, Holy Family Cristo Build the Pediatric Workforce Pipeline

Rey Catholic High School, teen volunteer and summer career exploration programs, the City of Birmingham’s Cradle to Careers initiative, Birmingham Promise, and the proposed Invictus Career Institute and Regional Workforce Development Center in Bessemer. These e‡orts may include clinical training, internships, practicums, career exposure, simulation-based learning, and potential support for a simulation room to help high school students explore health worker career pathways. These workforce strategies are intended to build a more diverse and prepared pediatric workforce, expand access to healthcare career pathways, and help address long-term workforce shortages

that affect healthcare access for Alabama children and families.

CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

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IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY