Posted January 7, 2016
A newsletter to inform advocates for children with special health care needs about current issues and upcoming opportunities to express their opinions to policymakers and program administrators.
Missed a past issue of the newsletter? You can find them all here.
NETWORK NEWS
Foundation Grants to Bolster Family Engagement in Policy
Improved transition to adult care, equitable funding for health services, and increased media coverage of child health policy are among the goals of six grants recently awarded by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. Two of the new grants focus particular attention on strengthening family involvement in promoting system change. See details about the grants.
Now Online: The Road to Hospital Discharge Success for Children with Medical Complexity
Pursuing Innovative Solutions for Hospital-Initiated Post-Discharge Follow-Up Care is the topic for the third segment of this webinar series on hospital discharge. Strategies and interventions that hospital staff can implement to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home are highlighted. Innovative programs at North Carolina Children's Hospital and Boston Children's are featured. The webinar was sponsored by Boston Children's with support from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. View recordings of all three webinars and slides from Lecture 3.
CALIFORNIA CHILDREN'S SERVICES
Comparing CCS to Medi-Cal Managed Care and the Proposed Whole Child Model
The policies and services provided under the current California Children’s Services (CCS) program were compared to Medi-Cal managed care and the state’s proposed Whole-Child Model at the January 6 meeting of the CCS Advisory Group, prompting a robust conversation. The group discussed several topics from the comparison document (PDF), including authorization of services, case management or care coordination, continuity of care, and covered services, while deferring other topics until the next meeting. Jennifer Kent, director of the Department of Health Care Services, indicated that the comparison grid is preliminary and may be modified based on comments and questions. Send comments to CCSRedesign@dhcs.ca.gov. The group also discussed Medi-Cal managed care health plan readiness, and postponed discussion of plan monitoring and reports from technical workgroups. See meeting materials on the Advisory Group website.
Upcoming: CCS Care Coordination/Medical Home/Provider Access Technical Workgroup Webinar
Thursday, January 28
3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time
Registration information and meeting materials will be posted on the CCS Advisory Group website.
Also see: Recorded sessions from the National Symposium: Designing Systems That Work for Children with Complex Health Care Needs:
Risk Assessment and Tiered Care
Care Planning and Coordination
CALIFORNIA POLICY
Upcoming: Medi-Cal Children's Health Advisory Panel (MCHAP)
Wednesday, January 27
12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Time
1700 K Street, 1st Floor Conference Room, Sacramento
Dial-in: 1-888-603-9605; Passcode: 5681645
See meeting materials and other information on the MCHAP webpage.
The 15-member panel advises the Department of Health Care Services on topics that affect children covered by Medi-Cal.
RESEARCH
Study: Enhanced Medical Home Achieves Triple Aim for Children with Chronic Illness
A medical home is often recommended as a solution to the fragmented, costly care that children with chronic illnesses usually receive, yet its value in improving outcomes has not been proven. Results of a clinical trial in Texas, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, show that a medical home that provides comprehensive care for children with chronic illnesses can successfully achieve the Triple Aim standard of improved care, improved health, and lower costs for this population, compared with usual care.
Also see: The National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) has created video tutorials describing three resources available to assist with implementation of a pediatric medical home.
In Case You Missed Them: Key Reports from 2015
From telehealth to medical complexity to care coordination, grantees of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health explored a range of issues related to children with special health care needs and their families in 2015. Many of these grants resulted in reports and policy recommendations. See summaries of these 11 reports or read publications individually:
- What Children with Medical Complexity, Their Families, and Healthcare Providers Deserve from an Ideal Healthcare System
- The Care Coordination Conundrum and Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
- Hidden in Plain Sight: California Children Using Long-Term Care Services
- Creating and Sustaining Effective Hospital Family Advisory Councils – and related Fact Sheet
- Realizing the Promise of Telehealth for Children with Special Health Care Needs – and related Fact Sheet
- Project Leadership: Effecting Change, One Parent at a Time
- In Their Own Words: Improving the Care Experience of Families with Children with Special Health Care Needs
- Children's Health Programs in California: Promoting a Lifetime of Health and Well-Being
- Key Elements of Care Coordination for Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Families
- Promoting Children's Long-Term Health and Functioning: Applying a Life Course Approach to Pediatric Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs
- Could a California-Specific Website Ease Transition to Adult Care?
IN THE NEWS
- Education, Social Programs Favored in Brown's $122.6 Billion Budget Plan
SF Chronicle, 1/7/16 - Rumor of Neglect Ups Risk of Later Maltreatment for Kids with Disabilities: Study
Reuters, 1/5/16 - Feds OK California's $6.2 Billion Waiver
California Healthline, 1/4/16 - Meeting the Demand for Pediatric Specialty Care
Becker's Hospital Review, 12/17/15 - In Federal Complaint, Advocates Allege Medi-Cal Violates Latinos' Civil Rights
KQED, 12/15/15 - Pediatrician's Care Coordination Effort Helps Patients with Complex Needs
Hospital & Health Networks, 12/15/15
RESOURCES
- The January issue of Complex Child focuses on Immunology.
- Spotlight on Diversability: This blog post, from a social movement to rebrand disability, is one of a weekly Disability.gov series from subject matter experts who address topics for people with disabilities and their families.
WEBINARS
Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015: What it Means for Students with Disabilities
Wednesday, January 13
12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific Time
Sponsored by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, the National Disability Rights Network, and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities.
This webinar will provide a summary of major provisions relevant for students with disabilities of the Every Student Succeeds Act, signed by President Obama in December 2015, and next steps for agencies working to implement the law.
Learn more and register for the webinar.
Health Coaching and Care Integration
Thursday, January 21
12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Time
Hosted by the Center for Care Innovations in partnership with the UCSF Center for Excellence in Primary Care.
Presenters will discuss their experiences implementing health coaching programs in Alameda County and Boston, as part of a webinar series on Facilitating Care Integration.
Register for the webinar.
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Survey to Assess Mental Health Services in Schools
Parents of school children who have mental health needs are invited to complete a survey regarding their experiences in obtaining services. In 2011, California's school districts were given sole responsibility for ensuring that students receive behavioral and mental health services at school. The Western Center on Law & Poverty and Mental Health Advocacy Services is conducting the statewide survey to develop a report on the progress that school districts have made in serving students. Responses are confidential and anonymous. For additional information, contact Antionette Dozier at (213) 235-2629 or email adozier@wclp.org.
EVENT
California Head Start Association – 2016 Annual Conference
February 23-25
Convention Center, Riverside, California
Find details.
WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Let us know what's happening with your organization or family. Email Program Associate Danielle DeCosta at Danielle.DeCosta@lpfch.org with your news or updates. Newsletter Editor: Eileen Walsh
