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Current Fellows
Adolescent Health
Khimberly Schoenacker
Bloomberg Fellow
Khimberly Schoenacker is the Clinical Nutrition Consultant for the Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs (CYSHCN) program at Washington State Department of Health where her interests in medically complex pediatrics, youth with disabilities, nutrition, and public health intersect. Khim serves as a consultant to a network of professionals on the nutritional needs of CYSHCN and works to improve the system of care statewide. She partners with the University of Washington Institute on Human Development and Disability Nutrition Network to recruit, train, and support dietitians and feeding teams. Khim developed a training module to improve cooking skills for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a guide for healthcare providers to identify eating disorders and currently leads a multi-sector workgroup to improve services for children and youth with type I diabetes.
One in five children in Washington state have special healthcare needs. The Washington State Department of Health promotes connected systems of care for CYSHCN from birth through transition to adulthood. Our purpose is to assure comprehensive, integrated, coordinated, family-centered, and culturally competent systems of care to assure that youth with special healthcare needs can achieve the healthiest life possible and develop to their full potential. Our vision is that all CYSHCN and their families belong, participate, and thrive in communities with accessible systems that equitably support their social, health, developmental, and emotional well-being. The CYSHCN program provides funding and technical assistance to providers across the state including local public health jurisdictions, dietitians, neurodevelopmental centers, youth and family support organizations, behavioral health providers, schools, hospitals, and primary care providers.