On January 28th, National Pediatrician Day, healthcare leaders, caregivers, and advocates pause to celebrate the clinicians who protect and guide the health of children across the world. Pediatricians are more than clinicians, they are partners in lifelong wellness, emotional supporters of families, and bulwarks for health equity in every community. For Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY), this day is a meaningful reminder that every child, from infancy through adolescence, deserves access to family-centered care, compassionate care, and a trusted primary care relationship that attends to the whole child.
Here we explore why pediatric primary care is essential for all children, what research shows about its proven benefits, and how strong primary care aligns with RMH-NY’s compassionate mission to support families facing pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Today, primary care pediatricians do far more than deliver routine medical services; they serve as a lifeline and a stabilizing force of social infrastructure for the entire family unit.
The Pediatrician’s Role: More Than a Doctor — A Partner in Lifelong Health
Pediatric primary health care (PPHC) is defined by continuity, comprehensiveness, and coordination. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasizes that PPHC includes preventive services, health supervision, mental health promotion, anticipatory guidance, developmental screening, and family-centered communication tailored to each child’s unique needs. Importantly, this care spans from infancy through young adulthood, providing a stable medical home that supports every phase of development.
Unlike episodic care in urgent clinics or emergency departments, primary care pediatricians build sustained relationships with families. These clinicians learn a child’s history, preferences, and life context enabling them to tailor care, reduce unnecessary interventions, and catch subtle changes that might signal emerging needs.
This ongoing relationship, the medical home, is a cornerstone of pediatric care. In this model, pediatricians do more than treat illness; they promote wellness, support caregivers emotionally, and coordinate care among specialists when needed. A dedicated pediatrician serves as a daily advocate for a child’s well-being, growth, and long-term health.
Pediatricians in Action #1: Piper and Family
“Finally, after a tough weekend for Piper, Mom carried her daughter into the pediatrician’s office bright and early Monday morning. She told them she would not leave the office until the doctor told them what was wrong with Piper.
Turns out a mom’s intuition never fails. The doctor ran a handful of tests and found a huge mass on her kidney. He immediately told mom and dad to pack up and drive to the children’s hospital to admit Piper for treatment. That Monday night specialists at Mesa Cardon Children’s Hospital concluded that Piper did have an aggressive form of cancer known as neuroblastoma. “
---An Excerpt from Ronald McDonald House New York: Where Sisters Get to Be Sisters… Together
When Piper needed lifesaving care, her journey didn’t begin in New York—it began in Arizona, alongside her twin sister, Peyton, and the parents who refused to let distance stand in the way of hope.
At the House, Piper and Peyton were able to do something extraordinary in the middle of the unimaginable: they got to be sisters. Together. Sharing laughter, quiet moments, and a sense of normalcy while Piper received the care she needed.
But that moment of togetherness began much earlier—with a pediatrician who truly knew Piper. A doctor who knew which questions to ask, which tests to run, and when something wasn’t right. That knowledge led to a swift neuroblastoma diagnosis and an urgent path to the specialists at a children’s hospital—setting everything that followed in motion.
Read Piper’s remarkable journey—and see how keeping families together can make all the difference.
Proven Benefits of Continuous Pediatric Primary Care
Decades of research confirm that regular contact with a primary care pediatrician benefits children across many domains from preventive health and development to families using unnecessary emergency services less frequently.
Preventive Care and Continuity
Pediatric primary care practices that emphasize continuity meaning children consistently see the same doctor and see measurable improvements in key health outcomes. For example, a study at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that families who had consistent care were more likely to complete preventive visits, missed fewer appointments, and used the emergency department about 20 percent less often.
Continued preventive care ensures that children are up to date on vaccinations, receive developmental screening at recommended ages, and have caregivers supported with guidance about nutrition, sleep, behavior, and safety.
Supporting Development and Early Detection
Pediatric primary care is instrumental in tracking developmental progress. When visits are scheduled and relationships built, providers are more likely to pick up early signs of developmental delay or behavioral concerns. One study in Academic Pediatrics found that children presenting for unscheduled primary care visits were almost twice as likely to have developmental concerns reported by caregivers, emphasizing the value of routine, well-rounded childcare for early detection and intervention.
Reducing Unnecessary Emergency Use
Children without stable primary care are more likely to use emergency departments for non-urgent needs, increasing healthcare costs and disrupting continuity. Research shows that lack of primary care access is associated with higher use of emergency services for low-resource pediatric visits, especially among families with socioeconomic barriers.
Addressing these gaps helps families avoid the stress and systemic costs associated with unnecessary emergency room visits and allows pediatricians to manage care in a setting that supports ongoing care plans.
Pediatricians in Action #2: Michael Brill
“It was the summer when I was about to turn 9 years old, and I was having some stomach issues. That’s when they found a tumor in my colon. It was Labor Day Week and I remember I went to the doctor's office. I was talking to my dad about the Yankees. They were about to go to the playoffs. And the doctor looks at me, he's like, “you have a disease, you have cancer.”
--An excerpt from the blog Michael Brill: A Volunteer Superhero Using Community to Fight Cancer
Michael Brill, Chairman of the Board of Associates for RMH-NY, has been cancer-free for decades. His journey began with a simple visit to his pediatrician when he was just nine years old.
That doctor did not just see a patient. He saw Michael, a child he had known and cared for year after year. Because of that long-standing relationship, he noticed subtle changes others might have missed, ordered the right tests, and caught the cancer early, at a stage when the likelihood of beating the disease was far higher.
That early moment of care changed everything.
Pediatric Primary Care and Social Determinants of Health
Today’s pediatricians recognize that health is shaped by more than biology — it’s shaped by a child’s environment, family stability, access to safe housing, nutritious food, and community resources. These social determinants of health strongly influence child health outcomes and demand clinical attention in everyday primary care.
Research highlights that social determinants including race, income, neighborhood conditions, and insurance status are strongly associated with differences in healthcare utilization and outcomes for children. For example, findings from the National Library of Medicine show that Black children have significantly higher odds of emergency care use compared to White children, often reflecting barriers to primary care access and other systemic inequities.
Pediatric practices are increasingly screening for social needs such as housing instability, food insecurity, and caregiver stress then connecting families with community services. Primary care providers report higher rates of screening for social needs like public food assistance and adult mental health referrals than subspecialists, demonstrating their central role in identifying and addressing social barriers to health.
Equitable Care: A Core Pediatric and RMH-NY Value
Achieving health equity means ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has access to high-quality primary care. Pediatric primary care delivered within neighborhood and community contexts is one of the strongest levers for equity, enabling clinicians to proactively respond to disparities in preventive care, early intervention, and chronic disease management. Population health models show that integrated, child-centered primary care systems can advance equity by aligning clinical services with community resources and addressing disparities in access and outcomes.
However, barriers persist. According to JAMA Pediatrics, primary care visit rates declined through the 2010s, with reductions in in-office problem-based visits even as preventive visits rose modestly, highlighting ongoing challenges in access and utilization that may disproportionately affect children in underserved communities.
Strengthening the Continuum of Care
This is where Ronald McDonald House New York steps in to fill the gaps families should never have to face alone. We did just that with the creation of one of the newest teams at the House, Population Health.
The Population Health team was thoughtfully built and is now led by Jamillah Hoy-Rosas, MPH, RD. Through New York’s Medicaid 1115 Waiver Program, the team partners with social care networks across all five boroughs, meeting families where they are and helping them access what every child deserves.
In 2025 alone, RMH-NY’s Population Health team supported more than 700 families across New York City, delivering over 2,000 screenings, referrals, and care navigation services to help address food insecurity, housing instability, transportation barriers, and access to pediatric care.
Their work is both clear and deeply human. They connect New York City families to pediatric primary care providers and to the essential supports that form the foundation of a healthy life for children and caregivers alike.
This work is made possible through strong partnerships with Social Care Network organizations across the five boroughs including Public Health Solutions, SOMOS Community Care, and Staten Island PPS; helping connect pediatric primary care with vital community resources and broader population health efforts.
Families and caregivers can also self-refer for support through RMH-NY’s Population Health program using the QR code below.
So often, families come to us through their pediatric primary care providers. With Population Health, we are proud to reverse that path, connecting families to the pediatric professionals they need, strengthening equity, and helping ensure families receive the coverage and care that can change everything.
Read more about the vital work Population Health is doing in communities all over New York City.
Preventive Mental Health Infrastructure for Families Facing Serious Illness
For families navigating pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, pediatric primary care often becomes a quiet but critical source of emotional stability. While specialized oncology teams lead complex medical treatment at hospitals such as Memorial Sloan Kettering, primary care pediatricians remain a familiar and trusted presence, anchoring families amid uncertainty and change.
Because these clinicians know a child and family beyond a diagnosis, they are uniquely positioned to recognize emotional strain early. Shifts in sleep, behavior, appetite, or mood, common during intensive treatment, can signal mounting stress for pediatric patients and caregivers alike. Routine check-ins with a primary care pediatrician create space for these concerns to be acknowledged and addressed before they escalate.
In this context, pediatric primary care functions as preventive mental health infrastructure. Pediatricians help normalize conversations around anxiety, fear, and emotional fatigue, offering reassurance, guidance, and timely referrals when additional support is needed. Their continuity allows families to experience care that feels steady and familiar, even as hospital schedules, treatments, and daily routines shift dramatically.
For families staying at Ronald McDonald House New York, this layered system of care, specialized medical treatment supported by consistent primary care and compassionate, family centered support, reinforces health equity and holistic care. It ensures that emotional support is not an afterthought, but an integrated part of caring for the whole child and the entire family.
RMH-NY’s Role in Compassionate Care Beyond the Clinic
At Ronald McDonald House New York, personalized support for families goes hand in hand with the medical care they receive at partner hospitals. While RMH-NY does not provide medical diagnoses or treatments, the organization’s mission aligns with the principle that health care extends beyond hospital walls to emotional support, family stability, and access to trusted clinicians.
Families staying at RMH-NY often juggle hospital visits, subspecialist appointments, and complex care planning. In this context, a strong foundation with a primary care pediatrician supports continuity, even when treatment schedules disrupt routine care. RMH-NY’s compassionate environment, peer support networks, and logistical assistance help families maintain connections with primary care, reinforcing their role as partners in family centered care.
Pediatricians in Action #3: Sommah
For more than five months in Antigua, Sommah’s primary care doctors refused to stop searching for answers. What they ultimately uncovered was devastating—and extraordinarily rare.
When Sommah’s condition became life-threatening, her doctors acted without hesitation, rushing her into emergency surgery and providing the critical care that kept her alive long enough to reach specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. It was a race against time—and one her doctors helped her win.
Today, Sommah is nearly a teenager, back home in Antigua, living a life once thought impossible.
Pediatric Primary Care: Facing the Future with Innovation
The future of pediatric primary care is evolving to meet changing health landscapes and family needs. Advances such as integrated behavioral health, collaborative telehealth, and population health frameworks are reshaping how pediatricians deliver holistic support. Evidence suggests telehealth played a significant role during the COVID-19 era in maintaining care access for families with social needs, demonstrating that blended models can expand reach without replacing in-person visits.
Interdisciplinary approaches, combining pediatric medical care with mental health, social work, and community resources aim to strengthen emotional support and health equity for all children.
Celebrating Pediatricians on January 28th and Every Day
On National Pediatricians Day, this Wednesday, we honor the clinicians who do far more than treat illness. They guide development, advocate for health equity, support families through triumphs and challenges, and embody compassionate care.
Every child deserves a medical home with a dedicated clinician who knows them, listens to their family, and partners with them through every phase of growth and health. Pediatric primary care delivers this promise, improving health outcomes, reducing disparities, and nurturing emotional well-being across the lifespan.
At Ronald McDonald House New York, this mission resonates deeply. When families face the hardest moments of their lives, the collective support of pediatricians, hospital partners, and compassionate care networks helps them endure with strength and hope.
On January 28th and every day, let’s reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every child has access to a trusted pediatrician because healthy childhoods build thriving futures.
References
2. Nationwide Children’s Hospital continuity project results.
3. Association between social determinants and pediatric care utilization.
4. Meta-analysis on social determinants and pediatric emergency outcomes.
5. Population health and child health equity in pediatric primary care.
6. Trends in pediatric primary care visit patterns.
7. Social determinants of telehealth and pediatric primary care visits (COVID-19 era).
