Reimagining Children’s Health

ON THIS PAGE:

Why is the most expensive health care system in the world producing the least healthy population? 

Our country has spent decades wrestling with this question, while the problem only gets worse. It’s time to take action. 

Here is my three-step prescription to transform healthcare in America:

1. Understand what health is. 

The U.S. system is fundamentally flawed because it equates health care with medical care. Research has shown that 85% of our overall health is due to factors outside of medical care, such as nutrition, education, freedom from violence, and housing. 

If we want a health care system that creates health, we need to understand that the building blocks are both medical and nonmedical. At Nemours Children's, we call this Whole Child Health

2. Pay for health.

Today, health systems in America make more money when patients are sicker. This incentivizes more tests, more procedures, and more hospital stays. We are paying for the opposite of health.

What if, instead, providers got paid more when their patients were healthier? Clinicians would have more freedom to address what a patient needs to be healthy, whether the issue is a broken arm or food insecurity.

3. Start with children.

Investing in child health is the strongest lever we have available to transform the health of all Americans. Healthy behaviors learned in childhood have profound lifelong benefits. Healthy children grow up into healthy adults. 

If we can substantially reduce the number of adults who develop chronic illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, Americans will enjoy more high-quality years, our workforce will be more productive, and our economy will be stronger.

At Nemours, we are committed to implementing Whole Child Health in the communities we serve and demonstrating how it leads to healthier Americans. 

Join us as we go well beyond medicine to create healthiest generations of children.

R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP
President and Chief Executive Officer
Nemours Children’s Health

Whole Child Health

Dr. Moss explains his vision for achieving a healthier America through Whole Child Health.

Finding Health by Looking in the Right Place

In this e-book, Dr. Moss draws on his personal experiences to explain how to fix health care in America.

Follow Dr. Moss

For more updates, follow Dr. Moss on LinkedIn.

To receive future publications by Dr. Moss via email, please sign up.

Recent Media

"Nemours Plans Riverside Location in Kingswood Center"
By Katie Tabeling, Delaware Business Times | June 8, 2025

"Infographic: 3 Trends Impacting Children's Hospital CEOs"
By Jay Asser, HealthLeaders | June 3, 2025

"HL Shorts: Inside Nemours Children's Health's Capital Investment Strategy for Expansion"
By Jay Asser, HealthLeaders │ May 20, 2025

"How Nemours Children's Health Is Leading the Way in Redefining Pediatric Care"
By Jay Asser, HealthLeaders │May 5, 2025

“Hospitals are Facing What They Dread: Uncertainty”
By Ron Southwick, Chief Healthcare Executive│ April 10, 2025

“Nemours Opens New Cancer, Blood Disorder Institute”
By Jennifer Antonik, Delaware Business Times│ April 9, 2025

“Why Nemours Children's Health Is Helping a Delaware Neighborhood”
By Ron Southwick, Chief Healthcare Executive │ April 7, 2025

"Everyone's Talking About Government Efficiency. Let's Apply That to Addressing Chronic Disease"
By R. Lawrence Moss, HealthLeaders | April 2, 2025

"Nemours Children’s Health Welcomes Caswell L. Samms, III as Chief Financial Officer"
Savoy | March 28, 2025

"Jaxson de Ville, Brian Thomas Jr., Nemours Promote Literacy at THE PLAYERS"
By Shaun Ryan, The Ponte Vedra Recorder | March 20, 2025

"Dr. R. Lawrence Moss, President and CEO at Nemours Children's Health"
Becker's Healthcare Podcast | March 14, 2025

"Great Leaders in Healthcare 2025"
By Anna Falvey, Becker’s Hospital Review | March 13, 2025

The Morning Show from THE PLAYERS
WJXT-TV | March 13, 2025

“Measuring What Matters in Healthcare”
What’s Health Got to Do With It? | March 8, 2025

“Healthful News: Nemours Children’s Health”
By Beth Reese Cravey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | March 5, 2025

"CXS Donation Helps Nemours Expand Access to Behavioral Health Services"
The Ponte Vedra Recorder | February 27, 2025

“Nemours CEO: Shepherding of Resources Fueling Infrastructure Investments”
By Mark Hagland, Healthcare Innovation | January 21, 2025

"Nemours and Delaware Agree on New Payment Model to Address Children’s Health”
By Ron Southwick, Chief Healthcare Executive | January 13, 2025

“Nemours Children’s and Delaware Agree to Groundbreaking Payment Model”
By Mark Hagland, Healthcare Innovation | January 13, 2025

“Nemours, State of Delaware Enter Into New Payment Model”
By Jennifer Antonik, Delaware Business Times | January 10, 2025

“Nemours Children’s Health Agrees to New Medicaid Payment Model in Delaware”
By John George, Philadelphia Business Journal | January 9, 2025

“Revolutionary Payment Model for Children’s Health”
By Addison Perry, Investors Hangout | January 6, 2025

“Nemours Children’s Hospital Plans $300 Million Expansion in Florida”
By Gus Iversen, HealthCare Business News | January 2, 2025

“Nemours Announces $130 Million in Renovations, Expansions in Delaware”
By Sarah Gantz, Philadelphia Inquirer | December 27, 2024

“Nemours Children’s Health Announces $430 Million in Projects”
By Fay Harvey, HC&O News | December 26, 2024

“Nemours Children’s Health Announces $300 Million Expansion to Transform Pediatric Care in Central Florida”
Lake Nona Social | December 20, 2024

“Nemours Children’s Health Invests $430M in Projects in Florida and Delaware”
By Ron Southwick, Chief Healthcare Executive | December 19, 2024

“Expanded Care, New Institutes, Renovations: What 2025 Has in Store for Nemours in Delaware”
By Hannah Edelman, Delaware News Journal | December 19, 2024

“Nemours Children’s Hospital to Get $300 Million Expansion on its Lake Nona Campus”
By James Wilkins, Orlando Sentinel | December 18, 2024

“Nemours Children’s Health to Invest $130M Into DE Facilities”
Peter Osborne, Delaware Live | December 17, 2024

“Nemours Children’s Health Reveals $300M Expansion for Lake Nona Hospital Campus”
By Ryan Lynch, Orlando Business Journal | December 17, 2024

“50 Most Influential Clinical Executives 2024”
Modern Healthcare | June 10, 2024

“Our $7.7-Trillion Burning Platform: A Stark Moment for U.S. Healthcare”
By Mark Hagland, Healthcare Innovation | June 14, 2024

“Thought Leaders and Experts Push for Equity-Focused Solutions at U.S. News Forum”
By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton, U.S. News & World Report | June 6, 2024

“Wendell’s Story, and Dr. Moss’s Vision of Children’s Health”
By Mark Hagland, Healthcare Innovation | May 31, 2024

“Focusing on Children’s Health”
Letter to the Editor by R. Lawrence Moss, The Washington Post | April 22, 2024

“More Girls Visited Emergency Departments for Mental Health Needs in Pandemic”
By Ron Southwick, Chief Healthcare Executive | April 10, 2024

“Jacksonville Kindergarteners Engage in Fun Reading Activities at The Players Literacy Event”
News4Jax | March 15, 2024

“’Not Accidental’: Children Fare Better in St. Johns Compared to Less Well-Off Counties”
By Beth Reese Cravey, The Florida Times-Union | January 22, 2024

“Building Trust, Examining Data, and Getting Started: Leaders Offer Guidance on Health Equity”
By Ron Southwick, Chief Healthcare Executive | January 2, 2024

Podcast Interviews

Nemours Well Beyond Medicine Podcast Graphic

Whole Child Health

Dr. Moss shares his vision for how Nemours will transform health for all Americans.

Becker's Healthcare Podcast graphic

Creating Health

Dr. Moss discusses how children’s health care providers can be stewards of long-term health.

What's Health Got To Do With It? Podcast

New Models

Dr. Moss speaks with Dr. Joe Sirven on the medical and nonmedical components of health.

Dr. Moss on Video

Watch Dr. Moss on stage during recent appearances at HLTH and the U.S. News & World Report State of Equity Conference.

Essays on Whole Child Health

In each of the short essays linked below, Dr. Moss explores different lessons on Whole Child Health through the lens of patient care and research.

Kids with cancer offer a powerful example of how many factors can impact children’s health.

New cardiology research uncovers how heart disease can begin in childhood.

Philanthropic investments in children can have massive multigenerational returns.

Food and nutrition are an essential component of health.

  

June 2025

Bridging the Gap Between Treating Disease and Building Health

Care coordination is a valuable tool to address a family’s social needs and remove barriers to care.

Boy in a yellow shirt running on a path

May 2025 

A PATH to Fast and Trusted Mental Health Care for Kids

I know how overwhelming it can be when your child is struggling — especially when the issue involves mental health. Our PATH Telemental Health Program, Florida is offering help to parents and children with fast telehealth appointments — often the same or next day —  addressing a wide range of mental health issues.

High school kids graduating

April 2025 

Graduating the Whole Child into Adulthood

An innovative program in Jacksonville goes well beyond medicine to help diabetes patients live independently as young adults.

Girl hugging stuffed animal

March 2025 

Supporting Our Cancer Patients and Supporting All Kids

In a Nemours Children’s operating room last week, a healthy little girl lay peacefully unconscious as doctors extracted marrow from her pelvic bone. It is not something a child would be excited to do over spring break, but she had agreed eagerly. The procedure offered the only remaining chance to save her brother’s life. 

Child swimming.

February 2025

Healthy Children Become Healthy Adults

Investing in child health is the single most powerful lever to ensure a healthy population and a strong economy: If we want a healthier American population, we need to prioritize early childhood. Two newly published studies — one authored by a Nemours-led team — offer striking examples of how important childhood habits are for lifelong health.

A group of 6 happy children on a playground

December 2024

Investing in America’s Children

We have a big vision at Nemours: to create the healthiest generations of children across America. We know it is ambitious. We got into children’s health in Wilmington, Delaware, due to the philanthropy and generosity of Alfred I. duPont, and his aspiration to make a transformative difference in children’s lives.

Photo of Dr. Moss at The Ginsburg Institute Child Health Equity Symposium

October 2024

Our Community Investment in Children

Last week — before the hurricane that swept across Florida — I attended the second annual Child Health Equity Symposium in Orlando, hosted by Nemours Ginsburg Institute. More than 90 community organizations came together — groups that advocate for access to mental health services, good nutrition, mentorship for at-risk youth, safe housing and more. We all have a stake in keeping kids healthy.

A young boy preparing healthy food with his mother.

September 2024

To Solve Childhood Obesity, We Must Go Well Beyond Medicine

Years ago, I had two patients, Fletcher and Billy. They were not related, but happened to be born at the hospital where I worked, on the same day, with the same serious intestinal birth defect. These two boys underscored for me an important lesson: medical care and health care are not the same thing.

Improving Children's Health Improves Us All

A History of Nemours Children’s Health Through Archives

The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns  and cities across the country. Using archival photographs collected, preserved and archived by staff of Nemours this book shares the history and distinct story of Alfred I. duPont and how he shaped children’s health care in the communities we serve today.