Medical Homes in Puerto Rico
This page is designed to keep you informed about events and activities happening in Puerto Rico that will help improve access to medical homes for children with special health care needs (CSHCN).

Medical Home Initiatives
This section provides information on state medical home initiatives/programs. States that are a part of the mentorship network will have a "Promise to the State" which outlines how they will achieve ensuring that all children have a medical home by 2010. This is based on the Healthy People 2010 goals which is a 10 year action plan to achieve and measure success for all CSHCN.

Puerto Rico Medical Home Contact:

Name: Gloria Bezares Salinas, MSC
Contact: Phone: 787-274-3350 | Email: gbezares@salud.gov.pr

Champions for Progress Center: State Incentive Award
Goal:
To develop partnerships between families, providers, and insurance companies so that these groups are able to work together to promote care for CSHCN within a medical home.

For more information contact:
Gloria Bezares Salinas, MSC
Habilitative Services Division
Puerto Rico Department of Health
P.O. Box 70184
San Juan, PR 00936-8184
Phone: (787) 274-3350
Email: gbezares@salud.gov.pr

Related Grant Initiatives
This section provides information on current state grants that are working on medical home initiatives. This includes the grant abstract as well as key contacts for the grant.

No information is currently available for this category.

Partners in the State
This section provides information on who in the state (individuals and agencies) are working together to create medical homes for children.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Chapter:
Contact President: Lillian Rivera, MD at 787/840-7663 or victoria@pol.net or the Chapter Executive
Director, Marisol Capote, at 787/840-0052 or solcapote@hotmail.com.

American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Chapter:

www.aafp.org/cgi-bin/chapterlookup.pl?chapter=pr

Title V CSHCN Program - Programa Madres, Niños y Adolescentes:
Dr. Naydamar Pérez de Otero
Maternal and Child Health
Crippled Children's Programs
Department of Health
P. O. Box 70184
San Juan, PR 00936-8184
(787) 274-5659 or 5660; (787) 274-3301
E-mail: nperez@salud.gov.pr
Web site: www.salud.gov.pr/PMNA/

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.

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

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, link newborns to a medical home and strive to eliminate geographic and financial barriers to service access.

Name: Naydamar Perez de Otero, MD, MPH
Contact: Phone: 787-274-5660 / 5659 | Fax: 787-274-3301 | Email: nperez@salud.gov.pr

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.

Name: Naydamar Perez de Otero, Coordinator
Contact: Phone: (787) 274-5659 | Fax: (787) 274-3301 | Email: nperez@salud.gov.pr
Web site: www.salud.gov.pr/Dsh/

Section 619/ Preschool Grants Program of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This program provides free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children, ages 3 through 5 years, with disabilities:

Name: Maria Yolanda Vazquez, Director for Early Childhood
Contact: Phone: (787) 759-7228 | Fax: (787) 753-7691
Email: vazquez_mar@gobierno.pr
Web site: www.de.gobierno.pr

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.

Name: Ana Navarro, ICC Chair
Contact: Phone: (787) 759-6546 | Fax: (787) 759-6719

Resources/Documents
Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
Dr. Naydamar Pérez de Otero
Maternal and Child Health
Crippled Children's Programs
Department of Health
P. O. Box 70184
San Juan, PR 00936-8184
(787) 274-5659 or 5660; (787) 274-3301
E-mail: nperez@salud.gov.pr
Web site:www.salud.gov.pr/PMNA/

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.

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

Puerto Rico Resources: www.nichcy.org/stateshe/pr.htm
A publication of the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

Puerto Rico Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities:
www.fetaweb.com/help/pr.htm

State Waiver Information: www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidStWaivProgDemoPGI/08_WavMap.aspbr> 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.

Educational Initiatives
This section provides information on training initiatives on the medical home. Some states will discuss their outreach projects in relation to physicians, families, and the community.

No information is currently available for this category.

Screening Initiatives
This section provides information on surveillance and screening initiatives in the state.

State Newborn Screening & Genetics Programs: genes-r-us.uthscsa.edu/resources.htm

  • State Newborn Screening Program Links
  • State Genetics Program Links
  • Regional Genetics and Newborn Screening Collaborative Links
  • Newborn Screening State Contact Fact Sheet

Family Corner
Family Voices: www.familyvoices.org/st/PR.htm
Partnering with professionals and families to advocate for health care services that are family-centered, community-based, comprehensive, coordinated and culturally competent.

NAMI of Puerto Rico (National Voice on Mental Health):
www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Your_Local_NAMI&Template=/CustomSource/AffiliateFinder.cfm&State=PR
Education, advocacy and support for persons with brain disorders (mental illnesses) and their families.

Family Village: www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/index.htmlx
A global community that integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with cognitive and other disabilities, for their families, and for those that provide them services and support. This site offers informational resources on specific diagnoses, communication connections, adaptive products and technology,adaptive recreational activities, education, worship, health issues, disability-related media and literature, and much, much more!


State Resources on the Internet: www.medicalhomeinfo.org/states/index.html#res

Note: The information provided on the state pages was submitted by the state medical home teams.As this is not an exhaustive list, please let us know if you have additions for your state resource page. You can contact us at: medical home@aap.org.


http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/states/state /puerto_rico.html

Last Updated August 15, 2006