Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are strongly linked to preventable illnesses, deaths, and health disparities. In 2020, California launched the ACEs Aware initiative, integrating ACE screenings into its Medicaid system. The California ACEs Learning and Quality Improvement Collaborative (CALQIC), a 48-clinic learning initiative, aimed to foster trauma-informed care practices while implementing ACE screening.

This study analyzed data from 40 participating clinics, examining the relationship between clinic readiness for trauma-informed health care (TIHC) and ACE screening uptake over 16 months. Findings revealed that clinics with greater improvements in TIHC readiness achieved higher increases in ACE screening rates. The study underscores the importance of creating trauma-informed environments to support the successful adoption of ACE screenings and promote holistic patient care.

These results highlight the need for ACE screening initiatives to provide robust education, technical assistance, and systems-change support to health care organizations.