Clinical Report Highlights How Partnerships are the Best Way to Support Children with Disabilities
Families of children with disabilities face a number of unique challenges that require high-quality medical homes to provide comprehensive medical care, as well as financial and social support. The new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Parent-Provider-Community Partnerships: Optimizing Outcomes for Children With Disabilities, featured in the October 2011 issue of Pediatrics, highlights the importance of families as valued partners in decision-making, health care, education and social services. Pediatricians need to offer strategies to help parents and siblings maintain their own physical and mental well-being, as well as seek out available financial support.
Research Shows a Benefit for Children in a Patient-Centered Medical Home
A recent article in ScienceDaily highlights research from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California that illustrates the direct health benefit of the medical home approach to children. A separate study, published online by Health Services Research, found children who reported better medical home experiences missed fewer days at school and performed better overall in math and in reading.
New Resources from Bright Futures for Families
Bright Futures for Families offers a variety of materials and resources developed specifically for families to complement the Bright Futures publications and materials used by health care professionals. The Family Matters: Summer 2011 Issue 
honors the 10th Anniversary of the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disorders (NCBDDD) and highlights Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs). The Bright Futures Theme Sheets for Families are informative one-pagers for each of the ten Bright Futures themes that recur in all stages of child development, such as community relationships and injury prevention.
Is Your Toddler Communicating With You?—Updated AAP Patient Education Brochure
Is Your Toddler Communicating With You? (formerly Is Your One-Year Old Communicating With You?) is now available for sale in the AAP Bookstore! This brochure, developed by the AAP Council on Children with Disabilities Autism Subcommittee, helps encourage parents to share any concerns they have about their baby's language development with their pediatrician as early as possible. It also provides early language and social milestones.
Learn the Signs. Act Early Autism Fact Sheets in Multiple Languages
The University of Southern California Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (USC UCEDD) has translated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Learn the Signs. Act Early Autism Fact Sheet into Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. For additional information, click here.
2012 Pediatric ICD-9-CM Coding Pocket Guide
This newly revised reference from the AAP includes the basic guidelines for selecting appropriate codes for commonly encountered pediatric diagnoses and diseases. All 2012 changes to ICD-9-CM codes are indexed by diagnosis and organized alphabetically for easy code identification. For additional information, click here.
Toolkit Helps Medical Practices Examine the Impact of Health IT on Workflow
The Workflow Assessment for Health IT toolkit was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and prepared by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement (CQPI). This toolkit will assist small and medium sized practices in workflow analysis and redesign before, during, and after health IT implementation. It includes tools to analyze workflow and others’ experiences with health IT and workflow.
Children Who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing: State of the Educational Practices
The new brief Children Who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing: State of the Educational Practices , published by Project Forum at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, includes information on state screening practices, schools for the deaf, services provided, professional development, funding, changes since cochlear implants became available and challenges to serving this population. The analysis is based on surveys sent to directors of special education and IDEA Part C coordinators.
Consumer Assistance Program Locator
Families USA has updated the Consumer Assistance Program Locator tool. The tool connects users with Consumer Assistance Programs in each state. Consumer Assistance Programs assist people with accessing health insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private health plans. They also assist individuals who encounter difficulties using the health benefits they have.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Announces $26 Million Pilot Projects Grant Program
Letters of Intent Due: November 1, 2011
Applications Due: December 1, 2011
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) announced the Pilot Projects Grant Program, a platform to inform ongoing development and enhancement of the national priorities of PCORI for patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR), support the collection of preliminary data for an evolving research agenda, and support the identification of research methodology to advance PCOR. The Institute intends to commit up to $26 million under the program—$13 million per year for two years—in support of approximately 40 awards. PCORI is interested in the development of research methods, patient-oriented outcomes instruments, patient-provider communication and other decision-making strategies, building collaborative research teams with stakeholders, translating research findings into clinical practice, stakeholder engagement, and research agenda setting strategies that can be used in future comparative effectiveness research.
Act Early State Systems Grants Request for Applications
Applications Due: November 2, 2011
Through funding from the CDC National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), the Association for Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) will provide 10-15 grants of up to $15,000 each to public health entities to integrate Learn the Signs. Act Early (LTSAE) materials and messages into programs that serve parents of young children, support the collaboration of Act Early State Teams, and evaluate progress. All states and territories that have an active state team focused on early identification and that are not currently funded by a HRSA State Autism Implementation Grant, are not currently participating in the HRSA/CDC LTSAE campaign implementation grants, and do not currently have an Act Early State Systems Grant (funded in January 2011) are eligible to apply. For additional information, click here or contact Treeby Brown at tbrown@amchp.org or Melody Cherny at mcherny@amchp.org.
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.
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Care Coordination Issue Brief, Webinar Recording from Commission for Case Manager Certification
A new issue brief and webinar recording from the Commission for Case Manager Certification provide guidance on care coordination, offering tools, resources, and insight into how case managers are breaking new ground in the advanced primary care setting as clinical partners in the new coordinated, team-based care setting. The issue brief, Renewed Emphasis on Team-based, Coordinated Care Places the Professional Case Manager Center Stage , identifies six functions of care coordination and explores the role of care coordination in new team-based care models as the nexus for communication, smooth care transitions and accountability. The webinar, Care Coordination: Tools and Resources for the Professional Case Manager, expands on the role case managers will play in the medical home, accountable care organizations, and advanced primary care-based delivery models. It offers an example of a pilot program based in New York's Hudson Valley, exploring the structure of the pilot, and special training and recruitment of board-certified case managers to fulfill this important role. The webinar also introduces case managers to tools and resources for measuring the value of care coordination, as well as its role in prevention, patient safety, and in team-based care models.
Webinar—Optimizing Health Care Reform for Women, Children, and Their Families
October 12, 2011—12:30–2pm (Eastern)
This webinar, Optimizing Health Care Reform for Women, Children, and Their Families, is cosponsored by the AMCHP and The Commonwealth Fund. To register for the webinar, click here.
2011 AAP National Conference & Exhibition
October 15-18—Boston, MA
The AAP NCE is the most comprehensive pediatric meeting in the world and represents the full spectrum of pediatric medical professionals and decision-makers, including pediatricians in general practice and subspecialties, young physicians, pediatric residents, and allied health professionals.
- AAP Pediatric Office of the Future Exhibit
Visit the AAP Pediatric Office of the Future at the 2011 AAP NCE for a first glimpse at some of the newest technology to enhance pediatric medical care. An AAP Council on Clinical Information Technology (COCIT) task force is putting a new spin on the exhibit by tying National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) requirements for the patient-centered medical home into four core areas of relevant functionality (ARRA/HITECH/Meaningful Use; Patient Engagement; Practice Management and Design; and Connectivity/HIE). The exhibit will also highlight National Center for Medical Home Implementation tools, resources, and information.
- Community Pediatrics Networking Event and Poster Display
October 15, 2011—6 to 7:30pm
Westin Boston Waterfront—Ballroom B-E
This event will be hosted by the AAP the Department of Community, Chapter and State Affairs and the Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Program.
- Health IT Networking Forum
October 17, 2011 from 12:30 to 1:30pm
Boston Conference and Exhibit Center—Room 106
This 60-minute forum, hosted by the AAP COCIT, will provide AAP members an opportunity to get together and share ideas and experiences related to the use of health information technology within their practice setting.
Webinar—Transitioning Youth and Young Adults from Pediatric to Adult Health Care Systems
October 17, 2011—12 to 1pm (Eastern)
This webinar, hosted by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), will discuss existing approaches to transitioning youth and young adults from pediatric to adult health care systems. Presenters will include: Mary R Ciccarelli, MD, Director of the Center for Youth and Adults with Conditions of Childhood at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Associate Chair of Pediatric Education and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine-Pediatrics; Courie E. Nourie, MSS, MLSP, Patient Transition Social Work Coordinator for the Division of Transition of Care at Nemours/Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware; Stacey Milbern, Community Outreach Director, National Youth Leadership Network; and Carl Cooley, MD, FAAP, Co-director, Got Transition – the National Health Care Transition Center. To register for this event, click here.
3rd Health Literacy Annual Research Conference
October 17-18, 2011—Chicago, IL
Co-funded by the AHRQ and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and other National Institutes of Health, the Health Literacy Annual Research Conference (HARC) is an interdisciplinary meeting for investigators dedicated to health literacy research. The themes of this year's conference are health disparities and health care quality. The HARC is being held in conjunction with European Association for Communication in Healthcare. Continuing Medication Education (CME) credits are available. To register for the conference, click here.
Care Coordination Summit—Advancing the Delivery of Care
October 21—Washington, DC
The Care Coordination Summit, presented by Dorland Health, is designed for those professionals responsible for coordinating care across the continuum. Dorland Health, an Access Intelligence, LLC Company, is a leading integrated media publisher in the healthcare business information industry. The Summit aims to deliver solutions to the complex issues in today’s care delivery system and will focus on the insights, trends, and analysis from industry leaders that care coordinators need to keep pace with our changing healthcare environment.
AAP Coding Webinar—New and Revised CPT and ICD-9-CM Codes for 2012
November 7, 2011—12 to 1pm (Central)
(Available for a fee at registration)
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes are updated every October. In addition, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes are updated every January. Implementation of these changes is required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; this webinar will provide understanding of how to use the new codes. For additional information or to register for this webinar, click here.
2011 Patient Advocate Conference
December 5, 2011—Orlando, FL
The Professional Patient Advocate Institute is hosting the 2011 Patient Advocate Conference, an interactive conference that promotes a culture of clinical and professional competence that will improve the health and welfare of clients. The faculty is made up of experienced patient advocates from various settings who will share real-world information and insightful strategies that can enhance practice, skills and outcomes.
11th Annual Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Conference
March 5-6, 2012—St Louis, MO
The 2012 Annual National EHDI Conference will provide an opportunity to identify areas of concern, promote collaboration, and share best practices to improve early hearing screening, diagnosis, and intervention systems for infants/young children and their families.
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Annual Conference
March 28-30, 2012—San Antonio, TX
The NAPNAP 33rd Annual Conference on Pediatric Health Care will carry the theme New Frontiers in Child Health. The conference will highlight topics such as immunization updates from the CDC and a childhood obesity pre-conference. Two concurrent sessions of interest include: Innovations in Implementing a Pediatric Health Care Home and Advance Care Coordination for Children with Special Health Care Needs.
2012 National Health Promotion Summit
April 10-11, 2012—Washington, DC
The 2012 National Health Promotion Summit, hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), aims to promote the development of disease prevention and health promotion polices that align with national prevention initiatives, encourage stakeholders at every level to collaborate on reaching national health goals, and integrate health policies across all sectors.
Archived AAP Pediatric Care Online (PCO) Webinar—Autism Spectrum Disorders
This webinar was presented by Patricia Manning-Courtney, MD, FAAP, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Pediatric Developmental Specialist, and Medical Director of The Kelly O'Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Division of Developmental Disabilities at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. This webinar focused on: screening and diagnosis recommendations; an overview of treatment approaches, including medication; and a review of current controversies. To access an archived recording of this event and the PowerPoint presentation, click here.
Webinar Recording Discusses Ensuring Language Access for Families
The webinar, Ensuring Language Access for Families with Limited English Proficiency, was presented by the Multicultural Workgroup of the Parent Technical Assistance Network during summer 2011. An archived recording of this webinar is available for viewing on the Parent Technical Assistance Network Web site.
For a full listing of Upcoming Conferences and Events, click here
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AAP Received Funding for the New Head Start National Center on Health
The HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Head Start has awarded $3 million to the AAP to operate the Office of Head Start National Center on Health. The Center will showcase evidence-based practices that ensure all Head Start and Early Head Start agencies have access to the same level of high-quality information, training, and technical assistance in order to produce the best possible outcomes for children. The National Center on Health will focus on health, oral health, mental health, and nutrition for pregnant women and children birth to five as well as their families. For more information, visit the Office of Head Start Web site or log onto the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center.
National Child Health Day: October 3, 2011
This year, October 3rd marked the 83rd celebration of National Child Health day with a theme of Helping Children Lead Healthy Lives. Information on this event can be found on the Child Health Day page of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Web site including important resources that assist families in finding health care services, such as:
This national event highlights the critical importance of child health and the need for access to comprehensive community resources, a key component of the medical home model of care. For additional information on medical home and the implementation tools and resources available through the NCMHI, visit www.medicalhomeinfo.org.
National Initiative Encourages Better Two-way Communication between Clinicians and Patients
The AHRQ has launched an initiative with the Ad Council to encourage clinicians and patients to engage in effective two-way communication to ensure safer care and better health outcomes. This new initiative builds on previous public education campaigns AHRQ has conducted under contract with the Ad Council around the theme "Questions are the Answer." A series of new videos feature real patients and clinicians discussing the importance of asking questions and sharing information. Additional resources to help prepared patients before, during, and after their medical appointments include an interactive Question Builder tool, the Be More Involved in Your Health Care: Tips for Patients brochure, and Notepads for medical offices to help patients prioritize the top three questions they wish to address during their appointment.
New Draft Report on a Registry of Patient Registries Available for Comment
Comment Deadline: October 10, 2011
The AHRQ Effective Health Care (EHC) Program is has announced that the Registry of Patient Registries (RoPR) draft report is now available and open for comment.
Video About Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have developed a video that shows an overview of the PCIP online application, information about what to expect, and what information you should have on hand when you apply online. PCIP makes health insurance available to people who have had a problem getting insurance due to a pre-existing condition. To view the video, click here.
Social Emotional Development of Young Children: Resource Guide for Healthy Start Staff
This guide, available on the National Healthy State Association Web site, focuses on the influence of early childhood experiences and skills on life-long trajectories of health and productivity. Topics included in the guide include: understanding brain development, social emotional development, the life course, and how Healthy Start staff can help parents promote their children's social and emotional development. The guide is available in versions with three unique covers that are aimed to address diversity within communities.
Spotlight on State Medical Home Initiatives
- Michigan Transition Toolkit
The Helping Young Adults with Disabilities Reach Their Hopes and Dreams Toolkit was developed through a collaborative effort by the Michigan Family-to-Family Health Information Center (F2F HIC) . The toolkit includes a video built around health and education guidelines to measure transition outcomes at the state and local school level and a companion CD with tools to help young adults make the transition from pediatric to adult health care including a transition timeline, transition worksheets for young adults and caregivers, and a transition plan of care.
- Transformation in Primary Care—Indiana's Successes with Medical Home
The July-August issue of the AMCHP Pulse e-Newsletter discusses the successes of the Indiana’s Medical Home Learning Collaborative (MHLC), a three-year joint project between the Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana State Department of Health through a State Implementation Grant for Integrated Community Systems for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN). To read the full article, click here.
- Maryland's State Implementation Grant
The July-August issue of the AMCHP Pulse e-Newsletter cast a spotlight on The Parents' Place of Maryland, who in partnership with the Office for Genetics and Children with Special Health Care Needs (OGCSHCN, Maryland’s Title V program for CYSHCN at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) was awarded a State Implementation Grant for Integrated Community Systems for CYSHCN from the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau in 2008. To read the full article, click here.
For additional information on National Initiatives, click here
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AAP Richmond Center Launches New and Improved Web site
The AAP Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence is proud to launch a new and improved Web site! The new site contains information about many tobacco-related topics, and has been expanded to meet the needs of a variety of audiences, including clinicians, researchers, community-level advocates, educators, parents, and children. Clinicians and families pay key roles in protecting children from tobacco and secondhand smoke; this Web site provides tools that can help create a dialogue and partnership between children, providers and families about the dangers of tobacco exposure.
Changing Pediatric Residency Training to Improve Quality of Care for Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs
This report , produced in partnership between the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ), the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, and Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, proposes using quality improvement methods to close the gap in children and youth with special health care needs without an established family-centered medical home through new residency training experiences and curricula. The result would be a re-designed training program that strengthens the competency of graduating pediatricians in the management of children with chronic conditions/special health care needs.
HRSA/MCHB Toolkit to Foster Successful Child Health Systems
The HRSA, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) toolkit, Collaboration and Action to Improve Child Health Systems: Toolkit for State Leaders , is a resource that provides users with an approach to mapping the child health system in a state. This allows state leaders to better envision the flow of services and funding that support access to care for children and families and identify opportunities for improvement. The toolkit contains system diagrams, discussion questions, and sample scenarios on topics such as: the Title V agency role in ensuring child health; Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program (EPSDT) mandates on collaboration and outreach to families; medical and dental homes; EPSDT screening visits; linkages, case management, and care coordination; care for children with special needs; Medicaid managed care; and public-private and interagency collaboration.
Baby's First Test Site Promotes Early Education About Newborn Screening
The Baby’s First Test Web site, produced by the Genetic Alliance and partners with support from the HRSA/MCHB, is a newborn screening information resource center—specifically for parents and the public—based on 2008 legislation (the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act). The site aims to expand support, research, and education opportunities for newborn screening.
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Building Your Medical Home Toolkit—Most Used Tools
The Building Your Medical Home toolkit—developed by the NCMHI—supports your development and/or improvement of a pediatric medical home. It also prepares you to apply for and potentially meet the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) medical home recognition program requirements. The toolkit can be accessed by creating a FREE user account and is organized into six building blocks that provide guidance for medical home implementation with links to downloadable tools. Based on data collected a survey of toolkit users, the most utilized tools from the toolkit are:
- Medical Home Index, Building Block #3 (70%)
- Action Plan Template, Building Block #3 (54%)
- Medical Home Practice Brochure for Parents, Building Block #1 (50%)
- Pediatric Care Plan Template, Building Block #3 (46%)
- Medical Home Family Index & Survey, Building Block #5 (46%)
- Pre-Visit Contact Form, Building Block #3 (45%)
- Community Resource List, Building Block #4 (42%)
- Emergency Plan Template, Building Block #3 (41%)
- Family-Centered Care Coordination Form, Building Block #3 (41%)
Care Coordination Functions Fact Sheet, Building Block #3 (41%)
- Medical Home Coding Tip Sheet, Other (40%)
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