Celebrating the Life of Peter van Dyck

A Message from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau

Our Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) would like to share the news with you that Peter C. van Dyck, MD, MPH, passed away on November 30, 2024. We honor him and would like to share a little about his wonderful legacy.

Dr. van Dyck's remarkable career improved the health of mothers and children, both nationally and internationally. He helped create more effective and innovative systems and strategies for financing and delivering systems of health care. 

Dr. van Dyck, who served first as the MCHB Director of the Office of State and Community Health (1992-1998) and then as the MCHB Associate Administrator (1998-2011), brought vast academic and professional experience to our bureau. Through both domestic and international service, including Chief of Pediatrics at a U.S. Army hospital in Germany, Pediatric Consultant for the Red Cross in Jordan, and later Director of Maternal and Child Health for the State of Utah, he gained critical perspective, knowledge, and curiosity that benefited those he worked with and those his work served. His more than 50 professional publications were written with a remarkable array of collaborators and have generated over 4,000 citations. Many of his articles can be accessed below.

He left a transformative legacy at MCHB.

Read More. MCH Legacy

Read More. Personal Life

Oral Histories of Dr. van Dyck

Dr. van Dyck was held in utmost respect by the maternal and child health field for his balanced and calm approach to raising issues, solving problems, and improving programs. These oral histories show his keen intellect, dedication to the field, and sense of humor.

In this podcast, Dr. van Dyck talks about the History of MCH and the Law (20:26 min).

In this podcast, Dr. van Dyck talks about MCH History, it's Mission, and Strategic Planning (35:21 min).

Article Featuring Dr. van Dyck

Throughout Dr. Van Dyck’s career, he prioritized the improvement of systems of care for MCH populations both nationally and internationally through policy, outreach, evaluation, and innovative financial strategies. Here, he shares his insight on the impact of public service.

Alumnus Spotlight: Public Service Has Great Impact. Article featuring Dr. van Dyck from Alumni News, University of California, Berkley. (n.d.)

Highlighted Works

Dr. van Dyck's more than 50 professional publications were written with a remarkable array of collaborators and have generated over 4,000 citations, leading to a critical link in the MCH evidence base over the past 40 years.

van Dyck, Peter C. (1991). Use of Parental Fees in P.L. 99-457, Part H. Washington, D.C. Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS). (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED334781).

• In this paper, Dr. van Dyck proposes the use of parental fees and private insurance as funding sources for early intervention services under the 1986 amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act. He cites relevant legislative authorities, discusses sources of payment (especially private insurance), presents the calculation of familial financial responsibility, and offers options for implementation of payments according to six progressive levels.

van Dyck, P., Mcpherson, M., Strickland, B., Nesseler, K., Blumberg, S., Cynamon, M., Newacheck, P., & van Dyck, P. (2002). The national survey of children with special health care needs. Ambulatory Pediatrics : the Official Journal of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association, 2(1), 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1367/1539-4409(2002)0022.0.CO;2.

• This article outlines the plan for and design of the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, a new telephone survey to be implemented by the National Center for Health Statistics with funding and policy direction from the Maternal Child Health Bureau.

van Dyck, P. (2003). A history of child health equity legislation in the United States. Pediatrics, 112(3 Part 2), 727–730. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12949333/

• This article outlines th mission of MCHB, including their three goals to 1) eliminate disparities in health status outcomes through the removal of economic, social, and cultural barriers to receiving comprehensive, timely, and appropriate health care; 2) ensure the highest quality of care through the development of practice guidance and data monitoring and evaluation tools; the use of evidence-based research; and the availability of a well-trained, culturally diverse workforce; and 3) facilitate access to care through the development and improvement of the maternal and child health infrastructure and systems of care to enhance the provision of necessary, coordinated, quality health care. 

van Dyck, P. C., Kogan, M. D., McPherson, M. G., Weissman, G. R., & Newacheck, P. W. (2004). Prevalence and characteristics of children with special health care needs. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 158(9), 884–890. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.158.9.884.

• The authors present national estimates of the number of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and their characteristics, including an assessment on how well their needs are met. About 12.8 percent of US children are CSHCN, with higher rates among certain subgroups. About one-third (33.5%) of CSHCN lacked critical elements of family-centered health care, and almost one-fifth (17.7%) had unmet health needs.

van Dyck, P., Kogan, M., Heppel, D., Blumberg, S., Cynamon, M., & Newacheck, P. (2004). The National Survey of Children’s Health: a new data resource. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 8(3), 183–188. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MACI.0000037693.09847.f6.

• This article characterizes the National Survey of Children’s Health, a state and national survey jointly completed by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. The authors note its significance, and discuss its implementation and potential impact.

van Dyck, P. & Edwards, E. (2006). A look at newborn screening: today and tomorrow. Pediatrics, 117(5 Pt 2), S193–S193. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-2633A.

• This article introduces a supplement to Pediatrics on newborn screening, underscoring the importance of the topic in the context of comprehensive care. The articles in the special issue outline specific activities implemented by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

van Dyck, P. (2007). Final commentary on the special volume of articles from the National Survey of Children’s Health. Pediatrics, 119 Suppl 1, S122–3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17272580/.

• This article serves as a reflection on the special Pediatrics supplemental issue on findings from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). The commentary highlights specific findings and their implications for policy and practice, overarching themes, and expectations for future data from the NSCH.

van Dyck, P. (2010). Celebrating 75 years of Title V (Maternal and Child Health) and re-exploring our roots. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 14(6), 817–821. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-010-0674-8.

• This commentary piece describes the history of Title V (Maternal and Child Health) of the Social Security Act from its roots in the formation of the Children’s Bureau in 1912 to current projects such as the recent establishment of a Life Course Research Network.

Van Dyck P., Johnson K.  EPSDT Services for Children. Maternal and Child Health Practices, (4th edition), Editors: Wallace, Nelson, and Sweeney PJ. Oakland, CA, Third Party Publishing Co., 1994

• This textbook provides analyses of the major problems in the health care of mothers, infants, children, youth, and their families. It describes the organization and provision of basic MCH services, reproductive health care, child health care, care of adolescents, care of children and youth with special health needs, and care of mothers and children around the world. It also addresses broad issues such as needs assessment, program monitoring, program evaluation, legislation, organization of services and funding, and delivery of maternal and child health services.

Buehler, B. A., Gortatouski, M. J., Scow, G., Hoogasian, A. C., & Van Dyck, P. C. (1983). Thyroid screening in the newborn: Utah experience. Annals of clinical and laboratory science, 13(1), 5–9. PMID: 6404213. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6404213/.

• The authors present findings from a three-year screening of infants for hypothyroidism by the State Department of Health Laboratory of Utah. They report that the incidence of normal infants is generally less than one percent, and, in this case, the incidence was 1 per 3,800 live births. They emphasize the value of newborn screening of infants for thyroid disease.

Frost, F., Wells, T., Glasheen, K., & van Dyck, P. (1984). Epidemiology of SIDS in Utah. Pediatric Research, 18(S4), 183A–183A. https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00539.

• This summary refers to the first five years of the Utah State SIDS program, which aimed to document demographic and epidemiological factors for each SIDS case. They report certain variations in risk factors among the 366 documented cases, but note that these victims are similar to SIDS victims outside Utah.

Sosin, D., Keller, P., Sacks, J., Kresnow, M., & van Dyck, P. (1993). Surface-specific fall injury rates on Utah school playgrounds. American Journal of Public Health, 83(5), 733–735. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.83.5.733.

• The authors describe their effort to estimate surface-specific rates of fall injuries on school playgrounds using injury reports from 1988 to 1990 from 157 Utah elementary schools. Asphalt injury rates were the highest, followed by mats, gravel, grass, and sand. These findings demonstrate that impact-absorbing surfaces do not reduce fall injuries on playgrounds better than grass.

Strickland, B., Mcpherson, M., Weissman, G., van Dyck, P., Huang, Z., & Newacheck, P. (2004). Access to the medical home: results of the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Pediatrics, 113(5), 1485–1492. http://search.proquest.com/docview/71899095/.

• This article contains the findings of the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs regarding parent perceptions of the extent to which CSHCN have access to a medical home. The authors report that, although some components of the medical home have been achieved for most CSHCN, most do not have receive care through a comprehensive care model associated with a medical home.

Mcpherson, M., Weissman, G., Strickland, B., & van Dyck, P. (2004). Implementing Community-Based Systems of Services for Children and Youths With Special Health Care Needs: How Well Are We Doing? Pediatrics, 113(5), 1538–1544. http://search.proquest.com/docview/228419693/.

• This study offers a baseline measure of the proportion of children in the United States who meet the MCHB’s core outcomes for children with special health care needs. The authors report success rates greater than 50 percent for 5 of the 6 core outcomes, with transition to adulthood being the least successful. This study underscores the need for working toward success at all these outcomes.

Kogan, M., & van Dyck, P. (2005). Editorial: The National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs: Using State-Level Data to Improve Systems of Care for Children. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 9(S2), S1–S2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-005-4917-z.

• In this editorial piece, the authors discuss how the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs will address the existing dearth of information on state-specific care systems and outcomes for CSHCN. This article served as an introduction to a series of 11 state-specific studies on issues ranging from the ease of using community-based systems of care to the identification of children without access to adequate care.

Puryear, M., Weissman, G., Watson, M., Mann, M., Strickland, B., & Van Dyck, P. (2006). The regional genetic and newborn screening service collaboratives: The first two years. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 12(4), 288–292. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrdd.20121.

• This article outlines efforts initiated by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to address access to genetic specialty services to improve equity. The authors provide background information, characterize the landscape on the issue, discuss regional collaboratives, present critical program accomplishments, and describe future goals and challenges.

Alexander, D. & van Dyck, P. (2006). A vision of the future of newborn screening. Pediatrics, 117(5 Pt 2), S350–S354. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-2633O.

• This article discusses the evolution of newborn screening and explores potential next steps. The authors note issues of inequity on the topic, and specific areas for improvement to improve the quality of and expand access to and use of newborn screening. 

Lloyd-Puryear, M., Tonniges, T., van Dyck, P., Mann, M., Brin, A., Johnson, K., & Mcpherson, M. (2006). American Academy of Pediatrics Newborn Screening Task Force recommendations: how far have we come? Pediatrics, 117(5 Pt 2), S194–S211. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-2633B.

• This article describes the activities of the American Academy of Pediatrics Newborn Screening Task Force since its establishment in 1998. The authors also note future goals to ultimately reach a high-quality, coordinated care system for children with positive newborn screening results, their families, and the health professionals who care for them.

Sweetman, L., Millington, D., Therrell, B., Hannon, W., Popovich, B., Watson, M., Mann, M., Lloyd-Puryear, M., & van Dyck, P.. (2006). Naming and counting disorders (conditions) included in newborn screening panels. Pediatrics, 117(5 Pt 2), S308–S314. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-2633J.

• In this article, the authors propose a system of nomenclature for newborn screening disorders that aligns with the screening panel recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics, the screening analyte, and accepted standardized nomenclature. The goal of this system was to eliminate ambiguity and better standardize the naming and counting of newborn screening disorders.

Kemper, A., Boyle, C., Aceves, J., Dougherty, D., Figge, J., Fisch, J., Hinman, A., Greene, C., Kus, C., Miller, J., Robertson, D., Therrell, B., Lloyd-Puryear, M., van Dyck, P., & Howell, R. (2008). Long-term follow-up after diagnosis resulting from newborn screening: Statement of the US Secretary of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders and Genetic Diseases in Newborns and Children. Genetics in Medicine, 10(4), 259–261. https://doi.org/10.1097/GIM.0b013e31816b64f9.

• This article outlines expectations for long-term follow-up after diagnosis via newborn screening. Specific features mentioned include the guarantee and delivery of high-quality chronic disease management, condition-specific treatment, and age-appropriate preventive care across the lifespan. The authors also note four critical components to achieving long-term follow-up: care coordination through a medical home, evidence-based treatment, ongoing quality improvement, and novel research.

Singh, G., Kogan, M., & van Dyck, P. (2008). A Multilevel Analysis of State and Regional Disparities in Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States. Journal of Community Health, 33(2), 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-007-9071-7.

• This article contains an analysis of state and regional disparities in child and adolescent obesity prevalence and the impact of individual and area factors on prevalence using data from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health. Obesity prevalence varied significantly across geographic areas, and was partially explained by individual characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, neighborhood social capital, and physical activity), and area poverty rates.

Kogan, M. D., Strickland, B. B., Blumberg, S. J., Singh, G. K., Perrin, J. M., & van Dyck, P. C. (2008). A national profile of the health care experiences and family impact of autism spectrum disorder among children in the United States, 2005-2006. Pediatrics, 122(6), e1149–e1158. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-1057.

• This article presents an analysis of the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) to understand the care experiences of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the impact of ASD on the family. The authors reported that CSHCN with ASD were more likely to have unmet needs and issues accessing care, and that their families face greater financial, employment, and time burdens than those of other CSHCN. They also noted that receipt of primary care in a medical home can ameliorate some of these issues.

Therrell, B., Buechner, C., Lloyd-Puryear, M., van Dyck, P., & Mann, M. (2008). What’s new in newborn screening? Pediatric Health, 2(4), 411–429. https://doi.org/10.2217/17455111.2.4.411.

• This article presents an overview of newborn screening at the time of publication. The authors discuss general considerations in existing systems, relevant policies and pertinent conditions, state-specific practices, education for pediatric health professionals and parents, and system-wide evaluation. They also highlight possible next steps in newborn screening.

Singh, G., Kogan, M., Siahpush, M., & van Dyck, P. (2008). Independent and joint effects of socioeconomic, behavioral, and neighborhood characteristics on physical inactivity and activity levels among US children and adolescents. Journal of Community Health, 33(4), 206–216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-008-9094-8.

• The authors used 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health data to conduct an analysis of the independent and joint associations between several socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics and physical activity and inactivity prevalence. They report significant variation in prevalence of physical activity by socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics, calling for targeted interventions for certain subgroups including older, female adolescents, children from socially disadvantaged households, and those living in urban areas.

Singh, G., Kogan, M., Van Dyck, P., & Siahpush, M. (2008). Racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and behavioral determinants of childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States: analyzing independent and joint associations. Annals of Epidemiology, 18(9), 682–695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.05.001.

• The authors examined independent and joint associations between several socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral characteristics and obesity prevalence using data from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health. They report that race/ethnicity, SES, and behavioral factors are independently related to childhood and adolescent obesity, and highlight joint effects by gender, race/ethnicity, and SES.

Singh, G. K., Strickland, B. B., Ghandour, R. M., & van Dyck, P. C. (2009). Geographic disparities in access to the medical home among US CSHCN. Pediatrics, 124 Suppl 4, S352–S360. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-1255E.

• The authors analyzed geographic disparities in medical home access among US children with special health care needs using data from the 2005-2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. They identified individual-level sociodemographic and state-level health policy variables as predictors of access, and noted significant geographic disparities irrespective of these individual or policy-based factors.

Singh, G., Kogan, M., Siahpush, M., & van Dyck, P. (2009). Prevalence and correlates of state and regional disparities in vigorous physical activity levels among US children and adolescents. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 6(1), 73–87. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.6.1.73.

• The authors describe their analysis of the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health to identify state and regional disparities in vigorous physical activity level among school-age children. They found that individual (e.g., race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, social capital) and area-level (e.g., poverty, income inequality, violent crime) factors were important predictors of physical activity, and that there was significant geographic variation in activity levels.

Kogan, M.D., Blumberg, S.J.,…van Dyck, P. (2009). Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism-Spectrum Disorder among Children in the US, 2007. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1395-1403. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-1522.

• This article is an analysis of 2007 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health to quantify the prevalence of parent-reported diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children aged 3 to 17 years in the United States. The authors found that more children (approximately 673 thousand) had ASD than previous US estimates indicated, underscoring the need for more inclusive survey questions and improved population awareness.

Krotoski, D., Namaste, S., Raouf, R., El Nekhely, I., Hindi-Alexander, M., Engelson, G., Hanson, J., Howell, R., Al Hait, S., Al-Hassnan, Z., Bensalah, A., Chaabouni, H., Dhondt, J., El Nekhely, I., Hannon, H., Hanson, J., Howell, R., Raouf, R., … Van Dyck, P. (2009). Conference report: second conference of the Middle East and North Africa newborn screening initiative: Partnerships for sustainable newborn screening infrastructure and research opportunities. Genetics in Medicine : Official Journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, 11(9), 663–668. https://doi.org/10.1097/GIM.0b013e3181ab2277.

• This report describes the second conference of the Middle East and North Africa newborn screening initiative, of which the primary outcome was to develop country plans of action for implementation or expansion of newborn screening. Aspects such as needs assessments of countries, national plans, and recommendations for further action are mentioned.

Kogan, M., Newacheck, P., Blumberg, S., Ghandour, R., Singh, G., Strickland, B., & van Dyck, P. (2010). Underinsurance among children in the United States. The New England Journal of Medicine, 363(9), 841–851. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa0909994.

• The authors evaluated whether insurance sufficiently met children’s needs across the United States using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. They found that the number of underinsured children exceeded the children without insurance for all or part of the year in question, and that uninsured and underinsured children were more likely to face issues with health care access and quality.

Singh, G. K., Kogan, M. D., & van Dyck, P. C. (2010). Changes in state-specific childhood obesity and overweight prevalence in the United States from 2003 to 2007. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 164(7), 598–607. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.84.

• This article is a temporal cross-sectional analysis of the 2003 and 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health Data to identify changes in state-specific obesity and overweight prevalence among U.S. children and adolescents. The authors found significant geographic disparities in childhood obesity and overweight, and noted a higher prevalence in certain states in 2007.

Downs, S., van Dyck, P., Rinaldo, P., Mcdonald, C., Howell, R., Zuckerman, A., & Downing, G. (2010). Improving newborn screening laboratory test ordering and result reporting using health information exchange. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 17(1), 13–18. https://doi.org/10.1197/jamia.M3295.

• This paper describes efforts taken on by the American Health Information Community to improve the capture, coding, and communication of newborn screening information. This initiative was intended to promote the reliable, safe multidirectional transfer of patient information among data users and protect its availability as the patient grows.

Strickland, B., van Dyck, P., Kogan, M., Lauver, C., Blumberg, S., Bethell, C., & Newacheck, P. (2011). Assessing and Ensuring a Comprehensive System of Services for Children With Special Health Care Needs: A Public Health Approach. American Journal of Public Health, 101(2), 224–231. http://search.proquest.com/docview/847329551/.

• The authors reported the proportion of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) receiving care in ‘high-quality systems of services.’ These systems were measured by attainment of 6 essential system elements based on findings from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Just 17.7 percent of CSHCN received services in a system that met all quality indicators.

Kenney, M., Kogan, M., Toomer, S., & van Dyck, P. (2012). Federal expenditures on maternal and child health in the United States. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 16(2), 271–287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0745-5.

• This study estimates federal maternal and child health expenditures and identifies their sources to provide a broad perspective on MCH funding appropriations and inform a discussion of optimal allocation of said funding. The authors reported identifiable funding in fiscal year 2006 to approach $57.5 billion, with funding sources concentrated within the United States Department of Health and Human Services but spread across different agencies. This fragmentation raises questions regarding the potential impact of a more integrated MCH infrastructure.