Educational–clinical linkage to improve health equity for children with developmental delays and disabilities

representing the patient community on healthcare and how to conceptualize a patient-driven healthcare system.Focus group sessions built on prior conversations, with each covering a different aspect of moving from vision to action (1) Envisioning Your Ideal State of Healthcare, (2) Achieving Your Ideal State of Healthcare, and (3) Community Driven Action to Transform Healthcare.Thematic analysis was performed through systematic coding.Results: Four categories emerged over the three-day period: universal accessibility, respectful patient-centered care, compassionate care coordination, and cultural sensitivity.Participants envisioned a universally accessible, equitable, respectful, coordinated, and compassionate healthcare system with streamlined electronic health records.They advocated for comprehensive, patient-centered care addressing the whole person, not just diagnoses or symptoms.Actionable steps include reimagining medical education, leveraging communities, adopting successful international examples, advocating for patient-centered policies, and improving tools and measures.Conclusion: Insights from patients, caregivers, advocates, and researchers highlight the need for patient perspectives in shaping healthcare to be inclusive, holistic, and patient-centered.Transformative change can start by reforming medical education and professional development to align with patient-centered principles, ensuring a healthcare system that addresses disparities and prioritizes comprehensive, respectful care.