NAHIC: The National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center is based within the University of California, San Francisco’s Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies.
In its efforts to improve adolescent and young adult health, NAHIC focuses on the intersection of public health, systems of care and clinical practice, through research and synthesis, and dissemination, networking and partnering. As part of its work, NAHIC supports state efforts to improve care for adolescents and young adults. Current efforts are linked to the transformation of the MCH/Title V block grant program.
History
In 1994, the National Adolescent Health Information Center was established with funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Health Services and Resources Administration, in the Department of Health and Human Services. In 1996, NAHIC’s “sister Policy Center” was established with additional MCHB funding. Since the early 2000s, NAHIC has expanded its focus to include young adulthood, taking national leadership in highlighting the health and health care issues of this age group.
NAHIC is responsive to new policies and developments, such as the establishment of the Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1998 and the enactment of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) (link to ACA page).
NAHIC was honored as the 2006 recipient of the Society for Adolescent Medicine’s Millar Award for Innovative Approaches to Adolescent Health Care.
In September 2014, MCHB awarded UCSF funding for two new projects to be carried out by NAHIC.
- The Adolescent and Young Adult Health National Resource Center (AYAH-NRC). The overall goal of the center is to:
Promote adolescent and young adult health by strengthening the abilities of State Title V MCH Programs, as well as public health and clinical health professionals, to better serve these populations (ages 10-25).
The Center focuses primarily on increasing the delivery of and improving the quality of preventive services among adolescents and young adults.
For more information about the Resource Center, please click here.
- The Adolescent and Young Adult Health Research Network. The Research Network has three goals:
To develop & maintain a transdisciplinary multi-site research network that will:
- Accelerate the translation of developmental science into MCH Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) practice;
- Promote scientific collaboration; and
- Develop additional research capacity in the AYA health field
For more information about the Research Network, please click here.
