How Kansas is Implementing Bright Futures

Implementation

The Kansas Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Division continues to support implementation and provide training on the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition for pediatric health care professionals in a variety of settings, which include: local MCH agencies, home visiting, and community health centers. These efforts are largely focused on the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition specific to developmental screening (National Performance Measure 6) and the Adolescent Well Visit (National Performance Measure 10). Read on to learn more about how Kansas MCH centers use the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition as the standard of primary clinical care for infants, children, and adolescents.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Division of Health Care Finance (KDHE-DHCF) houses the Kan Be Healthy (KBH) Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program and provides the Kan Be Healthy EPSDT Manual. This manual is updated at least annually with guidance to professionals that provide Medicaid services to Kansas children under the age of 21. This manual includes forms and materials for professionals to use with children covered by Kansas Medicaid. Kansas has adopted the Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care (known as the Periodicity Schedule) as the state's EPSDT schedule.

As a Strategy to Address NPM 6: Developmental Screening

As a piece of the larger strategy to increase the statewide proportion of children aged 1 month to kindergarten entry who annually receive developmental screening, the Kansas MCH Division has:​

• Supported implementation and provided training on the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition as the standard of care for local MCH agencies throughout Kansas. MCH recommends that all Title V supported agencies use the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition when conducting comprehensive and preventive well visits for anyone under 21 years. As such, local agencies are expected to provide a developmental screening at least once a year to children they serve, from birth to age 6. Many local agencies use the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) for children over 60 months of age.
• Purchased a statewide license for the Bright Futures Tool and Resource Kit, 2nd Edition so that all Kansas local health departments and MCH lead agencies would have access to the online resources that align with the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition. AAP/Bright Futures representatives provided a webinar that demonstrated how to navigate the online Toolkit. A recording of this demonstration was uploaded to Kansas TRAIN, the online platform of training opportunities for public health, health care, safety, and partner workforce in Kansas. To receive access to the online Kansas Bright Futures Toolkit, an agency is required to attend training or view the recorded webinar.

​​As a Strategy to Address NPM 10: Adolescent Well Visit

The Kansas MCH Division promotes the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition standards of care as a piece of a larger strategy to achieve several objectives related to NPM 10, including:

• Develop a cross-system partnership and protocols to increase the proportion of adolescents receiving annual preventive services. Local MCH agencies provide adolescent well visits utilizing the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition. During these encounters, resources obtained from the Bright Futures Toolkit (patient education handouts) are shared with clients as take-home resources.
• Increase access to programs and providers serving adolescents that assess for and intervene with those at risk for suicide. As mentioned above, many local agencies provide adolescent well visits utilizing the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition. These Guidelines include behavioral health screenings to help providers recognize and intervene with those at risk for depression and other social-emotional health issues.

​Cross-Cutting Efforts: Workforce Development and Advocacy

• In response to the requests of local public health partners, 3 in-person KBH trainings are scheduled for summer 2020 across Kansas. A partnership between multiple KDHE bureaus (Medicaid/KanCare, Bureau of Community Health Systems/Local Public Health, and Bureau of Family Health/MCH) are utilizing this opportunity to update the Orientation to the KBH Manual. This revision will highlight the Bright Futures Toolkit forms, patient topical handouts, and recommended screening tools for age-appropriate visits.
• The Kansas Chapter of the AAP offers several training programs that incorporate the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition. Chapter pediatricians travel to offices and clinics throughout the state to train pediatric health care professionals on developmental screening and social–emotional screening using the Bright Futures model. Trainings include topics on the importance of developmental and social-emotional screening, how to bill, and whom to contact for referrals. The Kansas Chapter also educates and trains offices and clinics on various other topics per the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition.

Related Resources

Kan Be Healthy EPSDT Manual​

Contacts

Kansas AAP Chapter

For more information about maternal and child health activities in your state, visit the Health Resources and Services Administration's website to find local contact information for the Maternal and Child Health and Children With Special Health Care Needs representatives.