March 16, 2018
It’s been a busy month for Dr. Leslie Sharpe, who recently served on a technical expert panel addressing childhood obesity among Medicaid enrollees. The panel was coordinated by the RAND Corporation and the Office of Health Policy at DHHS in DC.
The panel consisted of one school nurse, seven physicians, and Dr. Sharpe—the only advanced practice nurse. RAND facilitated the panel discussion, which addressed such questions as:
- What strategies or best practices have been most effective in addressing childhood obesity among Medicaid enrollees?
- How have providers successfully partnered with community and other organizations, schools, and state and federal agencies?
- Reflections on barriers and challenges in addressing childhood obesity in the Medicaid program.
- What are the potential policy solutions that could be used to address the barriers and challenges of prevention and treatment of childhood obesity among Medicaid enrollees?
“It was an honor to serve on this expert panel and represent advanced practice nurses and AANP,” said Dr. Sharpe, who was one of only three providers on the panel who serves patients in rural areas.