Anu Partap, M.D., M.H.P. is the physician director of Health Equity at Cook Children’s. Dr. Partap has been a pediatrician for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in the realms of public health, mental health, family violence, child abuse, foster care and adverse childhood experiences. She recently spearheaded an effort to bring the REACH Institute to Cook Children’s to help empower pediatricians to address mental health concerns with their patients.

On this episode of Raising Joy, we talk to Dr. Partap about the important role pediatricians play in addressing the youth mental health crisis. She also explains what social determinants of health are, as well as how discrimination and racism impact the mental and physical health of children and teens.

Raising Joy is part of Cook Children’s Health Care System’s Joy Campaign, a communications initiative aimed at preventing youth suicides. For more information about the Joy Campaign, visit cookchildrens.org/joy.