IRON MOUNTAIN, Michigan - The International Children's Advisory Network (iCAN) is excited to announce the addition of two brand-new iCAN Kids Impacting Disease Through Science (KIDS) Chapters.
With a warm welcome, iCAN proudly presents:
*KIDS UP (located in the upper pennisula of Michigan)
*KIDS Los Angeles (in collaboration with Children's Hospital Los Angeles).
KIDS UP, led by long-time iCAN parent Mary Jo Klein, was developed after her family moved across the country for an employment opportunity. As a former member of KIDS Florida, Mary Jo determined the need to reach the remote pediatric medical communities surrounding her new hometown of Iron Mountain. Her goals include positively impacting underserved areas in which care may be considered unique in terms of population, availibility of providers and specialists, and/or other medical, innovation, science and research opportunities, especially as compared to the lower half of the state of Michigan. As a mom, Mary Jo is passionate about providing young people with the opportunities to learn from professionals and to share their voices within healthcare to improve science, technology, innovation, and advocacy.
KIDS Los Angeles, led in collaboration through the amazing work of Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), is the first-ever iCAN chapter to reach the west coast. Shared by iCAN Chapter Leader Alexandra Arnett, "As a nonprofit institution that provides pediatric health care and helps our patients more than half a million times each year in a setting designed just for their needs, CHLA is dedicated to caring for children, adolescents, young adults, families and each other. With a diverse patient population located in the heart of Los Angeles, a low-income surrounding community, we have a unique perspective and responsibility to find solutions to common pediatric pain points brought about by Social Determinants of Health. Our group of youth members are encouraged to immerse themselves in the growing Los Angeles ecosystem of innovative healthcare solutions to better pediatric care delivery in scalable way."
If you are interested in creating an iCAN chapter, please visit our chapter pages to learn more or send an email to info@iCANResearch.org for additional information.