As described by the American Academy of Pediatrics, a medical home is a model of primary care that is “accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate and culturally effective.” It is not a building, house, or hospital, but rather an approach to providing health care services in a high-quality and cost-effective manner. Through this approach, children and their families receive the care they need from a health care professional they know and trust. The professionals and families act as partners to identify and access all the medical and non-medical services needed to help children and their families achieve their maximum potential.
“Medical home for all children” is both a national and a state priority, though largely with a focus on children with special health care needs. CHDI is working to ensure that every child in Connecticut has access to a medical home, and that children and families make good use of them. Toward this end, the Institute is engaged in the following activities:
- Partnering with the Department of Public Health in their efforts to establish an ongoing medical home training system for children with special health care needs.
- Advocating for inclusion of medical homes in the Governor’s major early care and education initiative, as well as several other legislative initiatives.
- Partnering with the Connecticut Commission on Children to support research examining fiscal options for supporting medical homes.
- Collaborating with state agencies to develop a pay-for-performance system to create incentives for child health providers to provide medical home services, including expanded screening and care coordination.
- Funding a demonstration project at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center primary care clinic, through which outreach and care coordination are provided to children who have inappropriate usage of primary care services.
For more information on this initiative, contact:
Lisa Honigfeld
Senior Associate for Health |
