February is National Children's Dental Health Month!
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has prepared a variety of resources and tools to help you recognize National Children's Dental Health Month. Additionally, The American Dental Association (ADA) has information and free children's oral health resources for your office.
Oral Health Resource Bulletin
This resource bulletin, developed by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center at Georgetown University, lists selected oral health materials that are available for health professionals, program administrators, policy makers, and educators in the maternal and child health community. It includes professional education, tools, and training; public education; state and local programs, and more.
AAP Issues 2011 Immunization Schedules
The AAP has issued its recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedules for 2011. The schedules have been approved by the AAP, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Why Improve Patient Experience? How To Justify the Effort
The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Improvement Guide highlights the clinical and business benefits associated with improving patients' experiences with ambulatory care. A review of some practical strategies in the guide can help health care organizations make a compelling case for identifying and addressing performance issues revealed by CAHPS survey scores.
University of California Davis Health System Demonstrates the Team Huddle
UC Davis Health System has developed a video that discusses the benefits of the team huddle—and offers a glimpse of what they look like in action. The huddle is an innovative approach in supporting the medical home goals of improving the patient experience through visit pre-planning, teamwork, redesigning workflows and enhancing communication. To view the video, click here.
Article Relays that Online Doctor Appointments Gain Popularity
A recent USA Today article, Medical Practices Increasingly Allow Online Appointments, highlights how with the increasing popularity of computers and electronic health records (EHRs) among physicians, many opt to accept appointments online to get more patients and to lower overhead, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Appointment-scheduling software is available that allows patients to make online appointments with doctors and specialists.
Spotlight on State Resources—New Jersey, Nebraska, and Illinois
- New Jersey MOM2MOM Helpline Program
1/877-914-6662 (MOM2) is a 24 hour/7-day a week helpline coordinated by University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-University Behavioral HealthCare and New Jersey Medical School. The helpline features peer counseling, clinical assessments, and useful resources and referrals. The helpline provides parents of special needs children in Essex and Union Counties of New Jersey access to a comprehensive support network of mental health professionals.
- Nebraska Program Aims to Coordinate Care for Special Needs Children
A recent article in the Lincoln Journal Star, New Program to Aid Special-Needs Children, Families Builds Teamwork, details how The Hali Project in Nebraska has launched a pilot program, designed to establish a collaborative effort among families, doctors and communities in caring for children with special needs. The program introduces professional parent consultants at doctor's offices to guide parents in every aspect of care management for children with physical and developmental disabilities.
- New Medical Home Training from ICAAP
The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) hosted a day-long medical home learning session in September 2010. The session was recorded and is available free of charge on the ICAAP Web site. Faculty provided training on advanced patient population management and practice accessibility, as well as presentations on strategies and methods for measuring practice improvement; transitioning youth with special health care needs into the adult health care system; and tools available through Illinois Health Connect to support improved patient management and follow-up as well. A moderated discussion in which participants shared struggles, strategies, and successes in their medical home efforts was also recorded.
Winter Safety Tips from the AAP
The AAP has issued its annual set of winter safety tips for children and families. Whether winter brings severe storms, light dustings or just cold temperatures, the AAP has some valuable tips on how to keep your children safe and warm.
Sound Advice on Healthy Living
To help parents guide their families in healthy lifestyles, the AAP has created a series of audio interviews with pediatricians who are experts in nutrition and fitness - and getting kids to eat their vegetables. Visit the AAP Web site on the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Overweight and Obesity to hear interviews covering obesity, picky eaters, vitamin recommendations, infant feeding, exercise, and other topics. Parents can get practical advice first-hand from leading experts in the field. Transcripts of the interviews also are available on the site.
Grant Opportunity: Transforming Pediatric Residency Training to Improve Care for Underserved Children: A Team-based Approach
Deadline: March 16–2pm (CDT)
The call for proposals is now open for Transforming Pediatric Residency Training to Improve Care for Underserved Children: A Team-Based Approach Grant. The goal of this grant, supported by the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, is to help pediatric residency programs improve their community pediatrics and advocacy training. Programs selected will create sustainable strategies to implement change to enhance residency training in community pediatrics and advocacy. Grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis to 7 pediatric residency programs for activities to be completed over the course of 2 years. A pediatric faculty member with AAP national and chapter membership must lead the project.
$40 million in Outreach and Enrollment Grant Funds Available from CMS
Applications Due: April 18
Applicant Call: February 15—2 to 4pm (EST)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a funding opportunity announcement for a second round of $40 million in CHIPRA outreach and enrollment grants to States, local governments, community-based and nonprofit organizations, tribes, and others to support outreach activities and enrollment of children who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. This "Cycle II" grant solicitation encourages prospective grantees to focus their efforts in one of the following Focus Areas:
- Using Technology to Facilitate Enrollment and Renewal
- Focusing on Retention: Keeping Eligible Children Covered for as Long as They Qualify
- Engaging Schools in Outreach, Enrollment and Renewal Activities
- Reaching Out to Groups of Children that are More Likely to Experiences Gaps in Coverage
- Ensuring Eligible Teens Are Enrolled and Stay Covered
The solicitation can be found on www.grants.gov under CFDA 93.767, or for a direct link please click here. Awards will be announced in July 2011. CMS will be holding its first applicant teleconference on February 15 from 2 to 4pm (EST). The dates, times, and call information for this and future teleconferences will be posted on the Insure Kids Now Web site.
AAP Community Pediatrics Monthly Funding Alert
The AAP Community Pediatrics Monthly Funding Alert provides information on funding opportunities from the AAP and other organizations, as well as links to key programs and agencies.
For a more detailed listing of funding opportunities, click here.
(Back to Top)
HRSA Webinar—Tips on Open Source EHR Systems in the Safety Net Community
February 10—2 to 3:30pm (EST)
This health information technology (HIT) and quality webinar, presented by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), focuses on open source Electronic Health Records (EHR) for the safety net community. Open Source EHRs are systems that are either free or very low cost to implement. The presenters will provide an overview of the types of open source systems, the benefits and challenges of using open source EHRs, and how these systems can be used effectively to meet the Meaningful Use requirements and provide high quality care to meet population health needs. In addition, one speaker will present on how his rural federally qualified health center selected the use of RPMS (a free EHR system which was developed by Indian Health Service) to support its clinical services. A second presenter will talk about his health center’s selection of Worldvista (based on the Veterans Administration EHR System) and how it supports UDS reporting requirements.
National Quality Forum (NQF) eMeasure Training Webinars
February 10 (Two Times)
Available for a fee at registration
The NQF will host a set of webinars aimed at health IT vendors and measure developers utilizing Health IT systems and performance measurement data. The 75 minute interactive discussions will focus on how the use of health IT and eMeasures will provide unique and new opportunities for performance measurement and quality improvement.
AAP Webinar—Learn Pediatric Coding Success Secrets of Today's Top Pros
February 17—12 to 1pm (Central)
The next AAP Pediatric Coding webinar, RBRVS and RVUs - Everything You Always Wanted To Know But Were Too Busy to Ask!, will feature presenter Chip Harbaugh, MD, FAAP. This session will introduce the basics of Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) and show how RBRVS can benefit your practice. Also, learn how relative value unit (RVU) components are developed and maintained. For more details on this upcoming webinar, to view an archived event, or to register, visit the AAP Web site.
The Pediatrician's Guide: Caring for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Conference
February 26—Novi, MI
This conference, hosted by the Henry Ford Health System in collaboration with the Michigan Chapter of the AAP, boasts objectives including:
- Illustrate the role of the primary care physician as the facilitator of the coordination of primary care, tertiary care, non-medical specialties and community resources;
- Provide an intensive review of general pediatric care of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN)
- Facilitate enhanced collaboration with specialist in the care of medically complex children
- Expand knowledge of community resources for both children and their families
For additional information or to register, click here.
Webinar—Integrating Patient- and Family-Centered Care in Staff Education: Best Practices and Curricula Design
March 8—1 to 2:30 pm (EST)
Available for a fee at registration
Hosted by the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care, this webinar 
will discuss ways to collaborate with patients and families in developing a sustainable monitoring system to track process, impact, and outcomes of patient- and family-centered practice. Learn about specific tools for measuring patient- and family-centered perceptions of care and tools for measuring clinical and other outcomes. Explore practical strategies to support effective participation in quality and patient safety initiatives by patient and family advisors and leaders.
Third National Medical Home Summit
March 14-16—Philadelphia, PA
The Third National Medical Home Summit will bring together the leading authorities and practitioners in the medical home field to discuss how medical home is working, where it has proven outcomes, how it is evolving, and how it fits into plans for reforming the delivery system, in particular through accountable care organizations (ACOs). The key building blocks of the medical home model will be presented and current issues—evaluations, recognition, IT, patient engagement, the workforce—will be discussed in nine separate mini summits. Attendees will see how the model is working in a variety of different settings serving Medicare, Medicaid, commercially insured, and uninsured patients.
12th Annual IHI International Summit on Improving Patient Care in the Office Practice and Community
March 20-22—Dallas, TX
This conference will build on its eleven-year history as the meeting place for health care providers to learn cutting-edge improvements for practice and outpatient settings. The summit will bring together revolutionary thinkers and innovative practitioners who are launching a new era in the scope and ambition of local care delivery. This event proposes to fill clinicians and others on their team with the energy, optimism, ideas, and practice solutions necessary to successfully manage quality improvement agenda.
AAP Future of Pediatrics Conference
July 29-31—Chicago, IL
With the overall goal of improving child and adolescent health, the Future of Pediatrics conference blends cutting-edge updates on clinical and practice management topics, with strategies for advancing medical homes and building partnerships within communities. Learners will apply principles of team-based care, change management, and co-management between pediatric specialists and primary care, to achieve a goal of improving the health of all children. A variety of educational formats will be utilized, including interactive, roundtable, and networking sessions, to provide learners with opportunities to develop innovative, enduring partnerships and transform their practices.
- Call for Abstracts—AAP Future of Pediatrics Conference
Deadline for Submission: March 15
The call for abstracts for the 2011 Future of Pediatrics conference is now open. Please consider submitting an abstract and also help us in promoting the call to colleagues and others, as appropriate. The range of topics for oral presentations is much broader this year and may be of interest to you / your colleagues even if it hasn't been in the past. You are invited to submit an abstract for a presentation or a poster, sharing your successes and challenges as you work to improve children's access to a medical home and other needed services. This year there are even more opportunities to present your work. Abstract and poster presenters will receive a discount on registration.
For a full listing of Upcoming Conferences and Webinars, click here
(Back to Top)
NCQA Releases New PCMH Program Standards
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has announced the release of new standards for its Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program. The standards, titled PCMH 2011, are intended to “call on medical practices to be more patient-centered, and reinforce federal meaningful use incentives for primary care practices to adopt health information technology.” To learn more about the new standards and what to expect, visit the NCQA Web site.
Joint Principles for the Medical Education of Physicians as Preparation for Practice in the Patient-Centered Medical Home
These principles, authored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians. American Osteopathic Association, guide medical school curricula in ensuring all medical students understand and can act on the elements of the PCMH, including using evidence-based medicine and clinical support tools, performance measurement, and health IT that supports patient care, access and communication. For more information, click here.
URAC Patient Centered Health Care Home Program Toolkit
URAC has developed its Patient Centered Health Care Home (PCHCH) Program Toolkit to educate and guide health care practices, and/or their sponsoring health plans, insurers, and pilot programs, on how to transform practices into patient centered health care homes. URAC defines a Patient Centered Health Care Home (PCHCH) as a quality driven, interdisciplinary clinician-led team approach to delivering and coordinating care that puts patients, family members, and personal caregivers at the center of all decisions concerning the patient's health and wellness. A PCHCH provides comprehensive and individualized access to physical health, behavioral health, and supportive community and social services, ensuring patients receive the right care in the right setting at the right time.
For additional information on National Initiatives, click here
(Back to Top)
Call for Papers—Family Medicine Dedicated Issue on Education and the PCMH
Deadline—February 28
Family medicine education needs an ongoing process of rigorously evaluated innovation in curriculum design, teaching methods, and learner evaluation that address the implications of this new model of practice. For this dedicated issue, Family Medicine seeks manuscripts describing such innovation across all levels of learners in any discipline involved in primary care. Please consider submitting manuscripts that effectively convey patient-centered medical home (PCMH) principles and standards to such learners. For additional information, click here .
The Affordable Care Act and Children with Special Health Care Needs: An Analysis and Steps for State Policymakers
A new paper developed by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) for the Catalyst Center reviews and analyzes key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) relevant for children with special health care needs to help inform state policymakers' decisions in implementing health care reform. The paper is available now to download for free on the Catalyst Center Web site .
Moving the Medical Home Forward: Innovations in Primary Care Training and Delivery
This report, developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC),provides the results of a 2010 survey of member institutions to determine how attributes of the patient-centered medical home are being incorporated into the clinical education environment. It offers examples of seven medical schools successfully delivering patient-centered care to their communities. The report also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the post-health care reform era for medical schools and teaching hospitals. To view the report, click here.
Report—One-Fifth of the US Population Has No Doctor or Other Usual Source of Medical Care
In the latest News and Numbers, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports that “Roughly 60 million people—1 in 5 Americans—have no usual source of medical care, such as a family doctor or clinic.” For more information, visit the AHRQ Web site.
Report on Health Literacy and Adolescents
The report, Health Literacy and Adolescents: An Agenda for the Future , published by the National Education Association Health Information Network, discusses health literacy among adolescents and provides a suggested future agenda to improve understanding of health and the healthcare system.
New Videos from Our Partners
- Epilepsy and My Child
Developed by the National Center for Project Access, this video was designed for parents of children who have been newly diagnosed with epilepsy. This video provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions that parents have or are maybe afraid to ask.
- It’s Natural to Want to Know about Your Baby's Hearing
Created by the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM), this video promotes family awareness of their newborn's hearing screening result.
(Back to Top)
Connect with the National Center for Medical Home Implementation on Facebook
Want to stay up to date with what is new in medical home? The National Center has launched a Facebook page located at www.facebook.com/MedicalHome.
Please show your support and select the "Like" option on this page to have the latest news, information, and resources related to medical home from the National Center and its key partners delivered straight to your Facebook account's news feed. Also, help us ensure that every child and youth has a medical home by promoting the National Center Facebook page to your friends and colleagues!
(Back to Top)
