In 2009, the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health commissioned a study of the experiences of families in obtaining care for their children with special health care needs. While the multitude of challenges families face is well documented, this study was unique in that it sought to identify patterns of experiences through observations and interviews of a small subset of families. The researchers developed six models of experience. In 2013, stakeholders were systematically interviewed for their responses and reflections on the six models. The findings from this second study strongly support the notion that the models have the potential to contribute to achieving a better understanding of families' experiences, potentially leading to system improvement.
Public health nurse Janine Woods has an insider’s view of the unique challenges faced by foster children with special health care needs—and the social welfare and medical professionals trying to help them.
A comprehensive new study of California's Latino children paints a complex picture of their health and well-being—and finds striking differences within a 4.7 million-strong population that comprises more than half of all the children in the state.
For children with special health care needs, ideal health services must be grounded in "family-centered care," which includes the planning, organization and delivery of health care that involves a partnership between families, patients and providers. Such care meets the physical emotional, developmental, and social needs of children, and also supports the family's relationship with the child's health care providers and recognizes the family's customs and values. This new literature review provides an overview of findings from selected research on family-centered care for CSHCN. It examines what has been learned about the problems families face in having their needs met, and how high-quality family-centered care might be developed and implemented.
As president and CEO of the California Children’s Hospital Association, Ann-Louise Kuhns usually has children with special health care needs on her mind, but never more than now when the California Children’s Services program is undergoing a major transformation and funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program remains uncertain.
Children with Medical Complexity (CMC) make up a small but costly subgroup among children with special health care needs, and their numbers are growing. This report analyzes the efforts of 11 California medical centers to develop complex care clinics capable of delivering comprehensive, quality care to CMC in a medical home setting. The report outlines the key challenges to developing these clinics and recommends strengthening their support and expanding their partnerships to develop regional models of care.
Sometimes, all a family needs is a phone call on their behalf. Sometimes, an entire health care system needs to change. Amy Breedlove navigates the space between those two extremes as she coordinates care for children who are among the most medically complex in California’s Central Valley.
The future of the California Children’s Services program has spawned numerous but often unfocused discussions. A new paper from Ed Schor, MD, senior vice president at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, attempts to organize and focus forthcoming discussions. This issue brief is provided as a proposal to which stakeholders are encouraged to react.
Madeline Hall, Manager, Grant Development at Children’s Hospital of Orange County Foundation, knows firsthand how challenging it can be to finance care coordination for children with special health care needs. In this guest post, she shares what she has learned and offers inspiration for those doing similar work.
