We can’t forget the children

The New York Times Magazine yesterday featured a cover story about work that’s being done in Utah to reform the health care system. Good stuff there, no doubt. Higher quality, lower cost. Who can argue, right?

The article, like most in the Times Magazine, is long in words, but it seems to be missing a major component. Of the many hospitals that are mentioned, of all the doctors quoted, none of them focus on kids. Not one children’s hospital. Not one pediatrician.

Seems like the writer and editors of this piece forgot about our children.

Or maybe it’s because they know places like Cincinnati Children’s are already making remarkable progress providing high quality and shaving costs. President Obama referred to Cincinnati Children’s as an “island of excellence” in health care — showing others how it should be done.

We’re proud of that, and the work we’re doing. But we also know our work’s not done; we must make sure kids are not forgotten in the health care reform debate.