Children’s Medical Services—A State Agency for Children with Special Needs
Orlando Family Magazine
This article discusses the valuable services available through the Florida Children's Medical Services (CMS) program offered by the State Department of Health. The program provides children with special health care needs a family-centered, managed system of care. For further information about the CMS program and its services, please visit cms-kids.com.
Florida State Medical Home Public Service Announcement
The AAP Florida Chapter, in partnership with the Palm Beach Pediatric Society, has developed a public service announcement video about the importance of every child and youth having a medical home and the value in creating an ongoing relationship with a child’s primary care provider.
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Medical Home Chapter Champions Program on Asthma (MHCCPA)
Through the support of the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN), the MHCCPA facilitates the dissemination of best practices and advocacy related to the implementation of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) asthma guidelines within the medical home framework. Program goals include identifying a champion at the AAP chapter and/or state level(s) to educate/mentor providers in their communities, in addition to increasing advocacy efforts, for implementation of the NHLBI guidelines within the context of a medical home. If you would like more information about the project, would like to be connected with your chapter/state's champion 
, or are interested in serving as a chapter champion if your chapter/state does not currently have one, contact Suzi Montasir, MPH, Program Manager at 847/434-4311 or fill out the Contact Us form.
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) Grants—Cycle II
Florida is one of 23 states that received CHIPRA Cycle II grants to for efforts to identify and enroll children eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. The grants will build upon the HHS Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge to find and enroll children and support outreach strategies that have proven successful.
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) Grants—Cycle I
Florida is a lead on one of 10 CHIPRA grants, representing single-state projects and multi-state collaborations, from HHS to improve health care quality and delivery systems for children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The money will help states implement and evaluate provider performance measures and utilize health information technologies such as pediatric electronic health records and other quality improvement initiatives.
- Florida Pediatric Medical Home Demonstration Project-Change for Kids
The AAP, via the combined efforts of staff in several areas of the organization, is part of the Florida Child Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) quality demonstration grant. The Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Health are using Category C CHIPRA funding to strengthen medical homes' capacity to provide high quality, family-centered care through the Florida Children's Medical Services Network for CYSHCN. The project focuses on quality improvement in practices and is being administered and implemented via the AAP Quality Improvement Innovation Network and the AAP Chapter Quality Network. An overall evaluation for the initiative is being conducted by the University of Florida Institute for Child Health Policy. Staff in the AAP Division of Children with Special Needs is involved in all areas of the project to ensure that a comprehensive approach to medical home is at the foundation of all project activities
LEND Programs Receive Funding to Improve the Health of Children with Special Health Care Needs
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded $28.3 million to 43 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) programs, including the program at the University of Miami, to help improve the health of infants, children, adolescents and young adults with neurodevelopmental and other related disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders. LEND programs prepare trainees from a wide variety of professional disciplines to assume leadership roles, ensure high levels of interdisciplinary clinical competence, and enhance the ability of clinicians to diagnose, treat, and manage complex disabilities in youth and adolescents.
HHS Awards Millions to Support Patient-Centered Medical Home Research
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced more than $14.2 million to develop, implement, and test strategies to increase the adoption and dissemination of interventions based on patient-centered outcomes research among racial and ethnic minority populations. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) awarded grants to Centers of Excellence at universities and medical schools in Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, and New York, and the HHS Office of Minority Health awarded a contract to Westat, Inc. of Rockville, MD. The funds will be used to help ensure those Americans have the needed tools to make informed decisions about their health care options. The HHS press release states that those tools should fit individual patient needs and preferences with the long-term goal of improving health outcomes.
Dyson Community Pediatrics Training Grant
University of Florida Health Science Center/Jacksonville Pediatric Residency Program
The Dyson Initiative, in conjunction with other regional academic institutions, the Duval County Health Department, public and private sector human services agencies, and the Jacksonville community, will implement a Residency Program in Pediatrics and Community Health, during which residents will be introduced to the social, political, cultural, environmental, and behavioral determinants of child health and the evolving epidemiology of child morbidity..
State Initiatives in Patient-Centered Medical Homes
The Council of State Governments
The majority of state Medicaid programs are testing models of coordinated medical care to improve quality and reduce costs, particularly for patients wit h multiple chronic illnesses. This brief includes descriptions of eleven states' pilot programs or authorizing legislation including Florida.
Rural Health Information Technology Grants
Funded through HRSA, rural health networks across the nation will receive more than $11.9 million to support their adoption of HIT and certified Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Each of 40 grantee organizations will receive about $300,000 to purchase equipment, install broadband networks and provide training for staff. In Florida, the grantee is the Rural Health Partnership of North Central Florida. The pilot program was developed as a result of the President's Rural Health Initiative.
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in Your State
HRSA in Your State offers overviews of HRSA programs and current information, such as the number and amount of grants awarded down to the County level. It also provides state-specific information about health centers, National Health Service Corps members and the communities they serve, and the number of participating providers through the 340B program.
Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) State Contacts
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) launched the State Maternal and Child Health Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative to implement the MCHB Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Health. The purpose of ECCS is to support states and communities in their efforts to build and integrate early childhood service systems that address the critical components of access to comprehensive health services and medical homes; social-emotional development and mental health of young children; early care and education; parenting education, and family support. For additional information, you can look up your state's ECCS Grantee Contact or Grantee Web site.
AAP: Community Pediatrics Grant Database
The Community Pediatrics Grant Database archives previously funded Community Pediatrics grant projects, including those funded through the CATCH Program, the Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program, the Community Pediatrics Training Initiative and the Healthy People 2010 Chapter Grants. The database is searchable by seven major categories: target population; health topic; state/territory; project activity; AAP program; AAP district; and project year. Members of the AAP can obtain grantee contact information by searching through the Member Center. If you are not an AAP member, but have questions please contact docbi@aap.org.
Funding Opportunities
This page houses information on funding opportunities from the AAP and other organizations, as well as links to other key funding contacts and resources.
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This section provides information on state organizations that play a role in implementing various aspects of medical home, and includes links to their Web sites and contact information.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Chapter—Florida
AAP chapters are organized groups of pediatrician members and other health care professionals working to achieve AAP goals in their communities. Please contact your local chapter for additional state resources.
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Chapter—Florida
AAFP represents more than 94,000 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students
Family Voices Chapter—Florida
Family Voices aims to achieve family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities. Through a national network of chapters, they provide families with tools to advocate for improved public and private policies, and build partnerships among professionals and families.
Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs)
F2F HICs are non-profit organizations that help families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them. F2F HICs are typically staffed by parents of CYSHCN who understand the issues that families face, provide advice, offer resources, and tap into a network of other families and professionals for support and information.
Family Network on Disabilities
2196 Main Street Suite K, Dunedin, FL 34698-5694
Phone: 727/523-1130 | Fax: 727/523-8687 | Toll-Free: 800/825-5736
Marilyn Ruiz - marilyn@fndfl.org
Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Director
Title V Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Director
Title V of the Social Security Act is the nation's oldest federal program to improve the health of all mothers, infants, children, adolescents, and CSHCN. Title V is administered by the Federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) as a block grant to states to support core public health functions, such as care coordination and rehabilitation services.
Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Contact(s)
State EHDI programs promote universal newborn hearing screening, develop effective tracking and follow-up as a part of the public health system, promote appropriate and timely diagnosis of hearing loss, prompt enrollment in appropriate early intervention, ensure a medical home for all newborns, and strive to eliminate geographic and financial barriers to service access.
State Newborn Screening & Genetics Programs
Early Intervention/Part C Coordinators
The Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of IDEA) is a federal grant program that assists states in operating a comprehensive statewide program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, ages birth through 2 years, and their families.
State Section 619/Special Education for ages 3-5 Coordinators
This program provides free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children, ages 3 through 5 years, with disabilities.
State Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) Chairs
This program advises appropriate agencies on the unmet needs in early childhood special education and early intervention programs for children with disabilities, assists in the development and implementation of policies that constitute a statewide system, and assists all appropriate agencies in achieving full participation, coordination, and cooperation for implementation of statewide system.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Directors
CHIP is Title XXI of the Social Security Act and is a state and federal partnership that targets uninsured children and pregnant women in families with incomes too high to qualify for most state Medicaid programs, but often too low to afford private coverage. Within federal guidelines, each state determines the design of its individual CHIP program, including eligibility parameters, benefit packages, and administrative procedures. The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 re-authorized the program through FY 2013, and includes many incentives for states to find and enroll more eligible children in both Medicaid and CHIP. CHIPRA also includes quality provisions that aim to monitor and improve care delivered through the Medicaid and CHIP programs. Each state does have a CHIP program, and the names of these programs differ from state to state. To find information on health coverage programs in your state, visit the InsureKidsNow.gov Web site.
National Association of State Health Policy (NASHP)—Florida CHIP Fact Sheet
This fact sheet provides a baseline snapshot of state CHIP programs before the enactment of the CHIPRA and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Medicaid State Directors
(Select the SMD Directory on the left side of the site for the current list of Medicaid State Directors)
Medicaid is Title XIX of the Social Security Act and is a federal/state entitlement program that provides medical assistance to certain individuals and families with low incomes and/or special health care needs. Medicaid is of unique importance to children; together with the CHIP, Medicaid insures over 1 in 4 children in the United States, with millions more eligible but currently unenrolled. The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program is a critical component of Medicaid, which guarantees that children enrolled in Medicaid are screened for medical or developmental problems early, and that necessary treatments and services are provided. To find information on health coverage programs in your state, visit the InsureKidsNow.gov Web site.
- Medicaid State Reports—2011
The American Academy of Pediatrics, in partnership with the National Association of Children's Hospitals, has created fact sheets that explain the importance of the Medicaid program, and how children in every state rely on it for their health care.
Community Health Centers in the State
HRSA provides a searchable database of federally-funded health centers. Health centers provide care to those with or without health insurance including well-care check ups, treatment when sick, complete care during pregnancy, immunizations and checkups for children, dental care, prescription drugs, and mental health and substance abuse care.
Regional Extension Centers (RECs)
Health Information Technology RECs support and serve health care providers to help them quickly become adept and meaningful users of electronic health records (EHRs). RECs are designed to make sure that primary care clinicians get the help they need to use EHRs by providing training in adopting EHRs, guidance with implementation, and technical assistance as needed.
Family Network on Disabilities, Inc (FND)
FND
is a national network of individuals of all ages who may be at-risk, have disabilities, or have special needs and their families, professionals, and concerned citizens. The mission of Family Network on Disabilities is to ensure through collaboration that individuals have full access to family-driven support, education, information, resources, and advocacy and to serve families of children with disabilities, ages birth through 26, who have the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.
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Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP)—Florida State Profile
These state profiles provide a snapshot of how the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant (Title V) works in specific states. The profiles detail the Federal funds appropriated to each state, state match, specific programs funded, numbers of people receiving services and state health needs.
Early Childhood State Policy Profiles
National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)
NCCP’s Early Childhood Profiles were produced as part of the Improving the Odds for Young Children project. These comprehensive profiles highlight states’ policy choices that promote health, education, and strong families alongside other contextual data related to the well-being of young children.
Issue Brief: Implementing the Medical Home in Medicaid, CHIP, and Multistakeholder Demonstration Programs
American Academy of Pediatrics (Member access only)
This Issue Brief serves to provide guidance to AAP chapters working with states to implement medical home projects in Medicaid and CHIP as well as multipayer demonstration programs. It also addresses a number of the policy questions that frequently arise in creating state supports for the medical home.
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Medical Home Data Portal—State Data Pages
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative
The Medical Home State Data Portal profiles provide a state’s medical home performance level for all children and children with special health care needs, based on data from the 2007 National Survey on Children's Health and the 2005/2006 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs.
Child Health USA 2010
US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration
This report is the 17th edition of the annual statistical report that highlights the health status and service needs of America's children. The report contains easy-to-access graphs and charts summarizing significant indicators of children's health status, statistics, figures, and references.
America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2011
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
The purposes of the report are to improve Federal data on children and families and make these data available in an easy-to-use, non-technical format. It organizes well-being indicators into seven sections: family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.
2010 KIDS COUNT Databook
Annie E Casey Foundation
This report is a national and state-by-state profile of the well-being of America's children available as an interactive databook, a complete PDF-format report , and on request, in print. Data and rankings on 10 key indicators of child well-being are available by state, county, and city.
State-at-a-Glance Chartbook on Coverage and Financing for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
The Catalyst Center
The Online State-at-a-Glance Chartbook provides data on carefully selected indicators of health coverage and health care financing for CYSHCN. Using the online Chartbook, you can access data for your state and easily compare it with both national averages and other states' data.
National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports
Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ)
50-State Demographics Wizard
National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP)
This tool allows you to create custom tables of national- and state-level statistics about low-income or poor children. Choose areas of interest, such as parental education, parental employment, marital status, and race/ethnicity—among many other variables.
Adolescent Health Database
National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC)
The NAHIC database includes national and state-level profiles of key measures of the health of adolescents and young adults. National-level data is available by gender and race/ethnicity and also state-by-state, with summaries, data tables, and guidance for using this data to improve the health of adolescents and young adults.
Medical Home Data Fact Sheet—January 2009
American Academy of Pediatrics
To inform key aspects of the pediatric medical home, the AAP has compiled a data fact sheet of summary statistics and facts from various AAP and public and proprietary sources. These data define the current state of pediatric care, and as the efforts surrounding the promotion and expansion of the pediatric medical home accelerate, the fact sheet will change to reflect this new picture.
Profile of Pediatric Visits—April 2010
American Academy of Pediatrics
This report is based on the most current available four years worth of NAMCS and MEPS data (2004-2007). The updated report includes annualized estimates by source of payment, patient age, physician specialty, well vs sick visit, office setting, practice ownership, physician employment status, and geographic location.
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AAP Child Health Informatics Center—State and Territory Specific HIT Resources
This page on the AAP AAP Child Health Informatics Center (CHIC) Web site allows you to identify pediatric specific HIT resources by state related to Meaningful Use, Regional Extension Centers, State Health Information Exchanges, and other important information.
Article: Grace Medical Home in Orlando Helps Close Health-Care Gap for Working Poor
The May 2010 issue of the Orlando sentenial highlights the effectiveness of the medical home and it's implementation in a local Orlando practice. The article goes on to discuss medical home saying that "It is what some health-care experts call "the missing link": a place where the working poor and their families can go for basic medical needs and continuing care for chronic illness, where someone knows their names and their medical histories and will charge them only $20 per visit. It was the dream of one local pediatrician. Today, it's a reality."
Florida’s Quality of Care Chartbook
The Institute for Child Health Policy has completed a chart book examining the quality of care provided to children in the Florida KidCare Program. The quality of care indicators assessed include:
- Children's compliance with well child visits
- Children's access to primary care practitioners
- Families' satisfaction with their children's medical homes, and others.
Often quality of care assessments are reported for children as a group, without considering their health status.
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