Thrive Dispatches Season 2, Episode 8: Building Trust Through Community Partnership with Dr. Christine Page-Lopez

This week, Dr. Matt Biel speaks with Dr. Christine Page-Lopez, Associate Medical Director at Neighborhood Health community health centers in Northern Virginia and the Virginia Medical Director for Reach Out and Read. Dr. Page-Lopez also holds a master’s degree in public health and works at the intersection of primary care, community building and advocacy.

In their conversation, Christine and Matt talk about how holding both a clinical and public health perspective shapes her practice, how she sees partnerships with schools and community organizations as critical to her ability to take care of her patients, and how she’s working to shift pediatric care from a model focused on illness and threats to health to one that emphasizes family strengths and children’s innate capacities for connection and resilience.

They also dig into some of the extraordinary challenges of this moment: the erosion of trust in healthcare, potential cuts to Medicaid, and what it takes to serve vulnerable children when resources are scarce. Christine’s organization has almost 40,000 patients and about eight therapists. Those numbers highlight why innovation isn’t optional. Her approach involves strategic triage, leveraging programs like the Virginia Mental Health Access Program for consultation and care coordination, and building relationships with community service boards so families can get specialized support when they need it.

Christine describes a shift in how she practices pediatric anticipatory guidance. Instead of leading with all the things a family should avoid or be afraid of, she asks open-ended questions and listens. She talks about how Reach Out and Read gives her a tool to connect with families around positive childhood experiences and relational health. As she puts it: “I’m not asking you to spend money. I’m just asking you to spend some really, even if it’s a short ten minutes.”

For questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes, please email us at: thrivecenter@georgetown.edu.

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