PUERTO RICO HOME INFO
Announcements

No announcements at this time.

Projects and Grant Initiatives

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.

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Medical Home Pilot Project
The PR Department of Health, CSHCN Section, will implement a medical home pilot project in the region of Bayamón, PR. The goals are to increase awareness among participant health providers about the importance of providing services that are ongoing, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated and compassionate and promote the use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire for early identification of children with developmental delays and referral for services. Some identified barriers include pediatrician’s lack of time, lack of appropriate reimbursements, the need to hire care coordinators and family consultants and pediatricians’ notion that medical home is a complicated concept. Facilitating factors include the collaboration of partners/stakeholders that promote medical home and the revision and updating of the EPSDT guidelines for Puerto Rico.

For more information contact:
Name: Milaida Hernandez, MS, PR Department of Health. CSHCN Section
Address: PO Box 70184, San Juan, PR 00936-8184
Phone: 787/274-7844 | E-mail: mihernandez@salud.gov.pr

Partners in State

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Chapter
Academy chapters are organized groups of pediatricians and other health care professionals working to achieve AAP goals in their communities. Chapters are the channels of representation for individual members of the Academy. Please contact your local chapter for additional state resources.

Puerto Rico AAP Chapter
Ingrid Milagros Marino, MD, FAAP
Address: PO Box 1573, Dorado , PR 00646-1573
E-mail: lmarino@libertypr.net

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American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Chapter - Puerto Rico
The American Academy of Family Physicians is one of the largest national medical organizations, representing more than 94,000 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students.

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Family Voices Chapter - Puerto Rico
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, they provide families tools to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among professionals and families, and serve as a trusted resource on health care

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Title V Block Grant to States
Title V of the Social Security Act is one of the largest Federal block grant programs. It leads the nation in ensuring the health of all mothers, infants, children, adolescents, and children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Title V is administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) as part of the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

MCH Contact
Himirce Vázquez Rivera, MD , MCH Division Director
PO Box 70184, San Juan , PR 00936-8184
Phone: 787/274-5679 | Fax: 787/294-0726 | E-mail: hvazquez@salud.gov.pr
Web site

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Title V and Children with Special Health Care Needs
MCHB Objective: Support development and implementation of comprehensive, culturally competent, coordinated systems of care for the estimated 18 million U.S. children who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.

CSHCN Contact
Naydamar Perez de Otero, MD, MPH, CSHCN Director
Address: PO Box 70184, San Juan, PR 00936
Phone: 787/274-5660 | Fax: 787/274-3301 | E-mail: nperez@salud.gov.pr
Web site

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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 the 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.

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State Newborn Screening & Genetics Programs
Newborn Screening and Genetics Collaborative – HRSA Region 3
Translating research into practical health care services and systems to improve the health and quality of life of individuals with heritable disorders through Collaboration and Partnership

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Early Intervention/Part C Coordinator
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 age 2 years, and their families.

Naydamar Perez de Otero, Coordinator
Phone: 787/274-5659 | Fax: 787/274-3301 | E-mail: nperez@salud.gov.pr
Web site

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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:

Maria Yolanda Vazquez, Director for Early Childhood
Phone: 787/759-7228 | Fax: 787/753-7691 | E-mail: vazquez_mar@gobierno.pr
Web site

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State Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) Chairs
The ICC 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.

Ana Navarro, ICC Chair
Phone: 787/759-6546 | Fax: 787/759-6719

Medical Insurance Administration (ASES)
Maritza Espada
E-mail: mespada@asespr.org

Bayamón Pediatric Center
Director and contact person: Dr Yvonne Villafañe
E-mail: villafax@caribe.net

Puerto Rico ECCS (Unidos por la Niñez Temprana)
Contact person: Hidelisa Ríos
Phone: 787/294-0719 | E-mail: hrios@salud.gov.pr

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Medicaid
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 Children's Health Insurance Program, 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.

Medicaid State Director
For the most updated contact, please refer to the National Association of State Medicaid Directors Member List.

State Waiver Information
Waivers are the result of a process that allows state Medicaid agencies to apply for and receive permission from HCFA to provide services not otherwise covered by Medicaid and/or to do so in ways not described by the Social Security Act. Most Medicaid managed care programs require Waivers. The Waivers, which can differ greatly, are known by their numbers (1115, 1119), or as home-and community-based, or as Katie Beckett Waivers.

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Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
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 of 2009 (CHIPRA) reauthorized 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 a number of 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.

Children’s Health Insurance State Program Director
For the most updated contact, please refer to the CMS listing of CHIP Directors pdf download.

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Community Health Centers in the State
Federally-funded health centers care for you, even if you have no health insurance. You pay what you can afford, based on your income. Health centers provide checkups when you're well, treatment when you're sick, complete care when you're pregnant, immunizations and checkups for your children, dental care and prescription drugs for your family, mental health and substance abuse care if you need it. For a listing of CHCs in Puerto Rico, please use HRSA’s ‘Find A Health Center’ search engine.

Public Policy/Legislation

AAP Issue Brief: Implementing the Medical Home in Medicaid, CHIP, and Multistakeholder Demonstration Programs pdf download
(AAP Member access only)

The Medical Home 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.

State Medical Home Data

National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC) Adolescent Health Database
The NAHIC database includes national and state-level profiles of key measures of the health of adolescents and young adults, based on Healthy People 2010. Known as the Data Project, the online resource contains information on recent progress in key areas of adolescent health. National-level data is available by gender and race/ethnicity and also state-by-state, with summaries and data tables. The site also features information about data collection and presentation, state and national Excel files and guidance for using this data to improve the health of adolescents and young adults.

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2010 KIDS COUNT Databook
The Annie E Casey Foundation has released the 2010 Kids Count report. The annual Kids Count report is a national and state-by-state profile of the well-being of America's children that seeks to enrich discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all kids. The 2010 Kids Count report data is available as an interactive databook, a complete PDF-format report PDF, and on request, in print. Data and rankings on 10 key indicators of child well-being are available by state, county, and city.

Other Resources

Parents of Children with Disabilities Association (APNI)

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Puertp Rico Directory of Community Services

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Medical Home Brochure for Families in Spanish pdf download

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Health Care Transition Brochure for Youth with Special Health Care Needs in Spanish pdf download

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