State Spotlight - Pennsylvania

Last updated:  April 2010

Vick Zittle
Pennsylvania American Academy of Pediatrics / Child Death Review
1400 N. Providence Road, Ste 3007
Media, PA 19063
Phone: 484-446-3034
Fax: 484-446-3255
Email: vzittle@paaap.org

Erich Batra, MD, FAAP
Medical Director, Child Death Review
1400 N. Providence Road, Ste 3007
Media, PA 19063
Phone: 484-446-3040
Fax: 484-446-3255

Website: http://www.pacdrt.org/

Reports

Mortality Statistics

Program Description

Administration
Pennsylvania's CDR Program was established in November 1994. It began as a pilot study without legislation.  In October 2008, Pennsylvania passed a law mandating child death reviews.  The program has an annual budget of $130,000 and is funded by the Department of Health and Department of Public Welfare. Funding for the program is on a three-year contract. The program is housed out of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. There are 1.75 employees at the state level that staff the program.

Teams
Pennsylvania has both a state and local teams.

State Team: (Chairperson - Dr. John Bart, D.O)
The team is comprised of selected members and representation from all 64 Local Teams.  

Local Teams: (Chairperson - Facilitating Organization)
Pennsylvania has 64 local review teams.  Sixty-five of the 67 counties in the state participate on state and/or local teams.  Teams do not receive any funding from the state.  Local teams have received small grants for reimbursement of administrative costs (<$200 per team) and prevention project grants (ranging from $200-$500).  Some local teams use Title V funding or receive funds from local agencies to support administrative costs. 

Reviews
Pennsylvania CDR teams review all deaths of children from birth through their 21st year.  There are approximately 2,000 deaths each year. At this time team are reviewing 94% of all child deaths.

Purpose
Pennsylvania Child Death Review has a focus on prevention. This activity is accomplished by identificatiing factors which cause a risk for injury and death, including modifiable risk factors; making recommendations regarding the improvement of health and safety policies in the Commonwealth and  coordinating services and investigations.  Local teams make recommendations relating to the procedures and other actions to local agencies to reduce injury and death of children.

Data
Standardized data reporting forms are completed for all reviews. The Pennsylvania Public Health Child Death Review Act states that local team shall utilize the National Child Death Review Data Collection System to report its findings in accordance with the established protocol . Pennsylvania Bureau of Research and Statistics provide data to the current contracted agency for monitoring and distribution.  Local teams are provided  data for both births and deaths Additionally, local teams can request traffic fatality reports.

Annual Report
Pennsylvania produces an annual report that is submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly by September of each year.  The report includes summary of reports received by local child death review teams and recommendations relating to the reduction of risk of child injury and death. Annual reports are posted on both the PA Department Health and the PA CDRT resource website.

Prevention Initiatives
Examples of how CDR findings have motivated prevention activities include local projects that are developed and implemented by local teams and their community prevention partners – Ranging from a two day agriculture safety program to "Safe and Secure Sleep" brochures. Teams are skilled at focusing on prevention and collaborating with others. Communities are implementing suicide prevention programs including TeenScreen, Yellow Ribbon and Survivors of Suicide.  About 2,200 schools are receiving materials. 

Law enforcement, coroners, child protective services, the Department of Health along with child death review are working to standardize death scene investigations that support and use CDC Sudden, Unexplained Infant Death Investigation curriculum guide.  Additionally, CDR is working with child protective services on ATV death and injury prevention efforts.

Protocols
Pennsylvania CDR has confidentiality protocols in place.

Training
Training is provided and  funded through the contract budget.  All CDR members are invited to attend an annual network meeting.