HLTH Special: Dr. Patricia Hayes Spills the Tea on Supporting Children with Special Health Care Needs

We are kicking things off from sunny Las Vegas at the HLTH conference, where the halls are buzzing with new ideas in digital health. First up at the HITea With Grace table is Dr. Patricia Hayes, chief medical officer of Imagine Pediatrics and a lifelong champion for children with special health care needs. In this conversation, Dr. Hayes shares the career journey that led her to Imagine Pediatrics and the mission that inspires her work. She explains how their tech enabled, multidisciplinary model strengthens the care children already receive by giving families more support at home, more coordinated communication, and more of what she calls safe days at home. Dr. Hayes also breaks down the real world challenges that families face when navigating Medicaid and the pediatric system and how today’s policy environment can both help and hinder progress. Grace and Dr. Hayes explore how Imagine Pediatrics weaves together medical care, behavioral health, and social supports like transportation, housing, and food access. Dr. Hayes explains why addressing these social drivers of health is essential for helping families thrive and how technology and data can fuel better outcomes. They wrap with what gives Dr. Hayes optimism about the future of pediatric care, especially for families facing the steepest obstacles, along with her reflections on purpose, resilience, and her advice for women working in healthcare and health IT. Pour your tea and settle in for an uplifting, hopeful, HLTH inspired conversation with a leader who is helping reimagine care for some of the most remarkable kids and families in our system.