Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN)

After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lurie Children’s played an integral role in envisioning a network of children’s hospitals that is best poised to respond to future pandemics. Lurie Children’s is one of ten children’s hospital hubs in the Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN), whose vision is to improve health outcomes of children and the resiliency of children, families and communities impacted by emergencies, disasters and pandemics. In other words, the PPN scope has expanded, and the network seeks to use lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen our response to all hazards that impact children, not just future pandemics.

The PPN mission is to collaborate with the nation’s children’s hospitals and their communities to coordinate, prepare and enable high-quality, equitable, research-informed pediatric care in emergencies, disasters, and pandemics. To accomplish this mission, we conduct work focused in many different content areas, including mental health, infectious diseases, health equity, emergency preparedness and more.