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State Spotlight - Pennsylvania
 Last updated: September 2008
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/
Mortality Statistics
Program Description
Administration
Pennsylvania's CDR Program was established in November 1994. It began
as a pilot study without legislation. No legislation or law is in
place today. The
program has an annual budget of $150,000 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 - Erich Batra, MD, FAAP)
The team is comprised of 100 members made up of five subcommittees and
meets at least two times
annually.
Local Teams: (Chairperson - Facilitating
Organization)
Pennsylvania has 59 local review teams. Sixty-three 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 cost.
Reviews
Pennsylvania CDR teams review deaths to children under age
20. There are approximately 2,000 deaths each year in
Pennsylvania, 94% of which are reviewed.
Purpose
The purpose of the Pennsylvania CDR Program is prevention.
Data
Standardized data reporting forms are completed for all reviews. The
collection of data is not required by legislation or policy.
Pennsylvania CDR has access to state vital statistics. Vital statistics
are used as the raw data providers for both birth and death
certificates. CDR data is stored in access and is analyzed using SPSS.
Annual Report
Pennsylvania does produce an annual report. This report is distributed
to all local and state team members.
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, Children's Protective Services, the health
department along with child death review are working to standardize
death scene investigations including the development of a
curriculum. Additionally, CDR is working with Children's
Protective Services on ATV death and injury prevention efforts.
Protocols
Pennsylvania CDR has confidentiality protocols in place.
Training
Training is provided and is funded through the three-year contract
budget. Each year a "Prevention Network Meeting" is held.
All CDR members are invited to attend.
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