The Medical Home Program provides support to pediatricians, families, and other medical and non-medical providers who care for children with special needs in the rapidly changing and very confusing healthcare environment. Many of the children that Shriners Hospitals care for have very complex conditions such as spina bifida and cerebral palsy and need a broad array of services, including both those provided by Shriners Hospitals and ongoing services obtained in the family's community. However, community-based services for children with special needs are often delivered by a confusing array of public and private social, health and education agencies, each with its own application process and eligibility criteria.
Families speak of a maze of community services and often get lost in the system.
Moreover, private health insurance frequently does not cover many needed services, such as long-term physical or occupational therapy, special wheelchairs, or home visiting. The end result is that some Shriners patients do not receive the ongoing community services they need to promote their optimal health, development and learning. The primary care pediatrician is an important element of Shriners' community-based plan of care for children with complex conditions. He should be knowledgeable of the local service system and can help the family negotiate the maze, overcome barriers and maintain medical eligibility for services. Very importantly, the local pediatrician should have a trusting relationship with the family to help them cope with difficult issues, and help support compliance with the medical plan of care prescribed by Shriners' specialists.