Pediatric Subspecialists Within the Medical Home
Pediatric subspecialists are essential to a high quality medical home. For some children with serious chronic conditions, pediatric subspecialists may serve as the medical home. More often, they will assume a consultative or co-management role with the general pediatrician or family physician. The AAP is committed to strengthening collaborative medical home models with medical and surgical subspecialists.
For more information on the various subspecialties, click here.
Specialists, Generalists Discussresearch Network Collaboration
AAP News. 2009;30(6):19
This article discusses how leaders of specialist and generalist research networks discussed the potential for mutually beneficial collaboration at two Pediatric Academic Societies Meetings sessions in May 2009.
The Patient-Centered Medical Home Neighbor - The Interface of the Patient-Centered Medical Home with Specialty/Subspecialty Practices 
American College of Physicians—2010
The paper defines the concept of the PCMH neighbor and lays out a framework for how improved collaboration can be fostered between the PCMH and its medical neighbors. A PCMH neighbor is defined as a specialty or subspecialty medical practice that:
- Ensures effective communication, coordination, and integration with PCMH practices in a bidirectional manner to provide high-quality and efficient care.
- Ensures appropriate and timely consultations and referrals that complement the aims of the PCMH practice.
- Ensures the efficient, appropriate, and effectively flow of necessary patient and care information.
- Effectively guides determination of responsibility in co-management situations.
- Supports patient-centered care, enhanced care access, and high levels of care quality and safety. And,
- Supports the PCMH practice as the provider of whole person primary care to the patient and as having overall responsibility for ensuring the coordination and integration of the care provided by all involved physicians and other health care professionals.
The conclusions of the paper, developed by a workgroup of ACP's Council of Subspecialty Societies (CSS), are widely supported by subspecialist physicians.
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Promising Approaches for Strengthening Interface Between Primary and Specialty Pediatrics
Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Center—2006
The goal of this report is to identify promising approaches for strengthening the interface between primary care and specialty pediatric care. This report, identifies 10 innovative approaches related to referral, consultation, and shared management.
Promising State and Regional Approaches for Extending Access to Pediatric Subspecialty Care and Coordination With Primary Care
Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Center—2006
This report is the second in a series of promising practice reports prepared by the Federal Expert Work Group on Pediatric Subspecialty Capacity. The Expert Work was established in 2005 to 1) assess the scope and impact of pediatric subspecialty workforce problems, 2) identify promising practices, and 3) develop a tactical plan to improve access to pediatric subspecialty care within the context of comprehensive, community-based medical homes.
Expanding Innovative Education and Training Opportunities
- Medical Education and Training Programs for Enhancing Medical Home Capacity and Pediatric Subspecialty Access
Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Center—2008
A significant number of medical education reforms are directed at increasing the number of pediatric subspecialists and also the number of primary care physicians with expertise in the management of chronic childhood conditions. The 16 sample of innovative medical education programs in this report cover programs in medical school, residency training, fellowship training, maintenance of certification, continuing medical education, and professional development and mentoring.
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Federal Expert Work Group on Pediatric Subspecialty Capacity—Abstract
In 2004, the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) formed an Expert Work Group on Pediatric Subspecialty Capacity to develop strategies to improve access to pediatric subspecialty care in coordination with a comprehensive, community-based medical home. The Expert Work Group is addressing all 30 pediatric subspecialties, including those certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Board of Medical Specialties, and other specialty boards.
New Workforce, Practice, and Payment Reforms Essential for Improving Access to Pediatric Subspecialty Care Within the Medical Home
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163(3):200-202.
This article discusses how the availability of pediatric subspecialty care is critically important to the health and well-being of infants, children, and adolescents.
Recommendations for Improving Access to Pediatric Subspecialty Care Within the Medical Home
Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Center—2008
These recommendations were developed by the Expert Work Group on Pediatric Subspecialty Capacity to develop strategies to improve access to pediatric subspecialty care in coordination with a comprehensive, community-based medical home.
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AAP Policy Statements
AAP Policy brings together a constellation of policy documents from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Policy statements, clinical reports, clinical practice guidelines, technical reports, affirmations of value, and parent pages can now be found in one convenient location.
American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
A not-for-profit organization, ABMS assists 24 approved medical specialty boards in the development and use of standards in the ongoing evaluation and certification of physicians. ABMS believes higher standards for physicians means better care for patients.
American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)
One of the 24 certifying boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The ABP is an independent, nonprofit organization whose certificate is recognized throughout the world as a credential signifying a high level of physician competence.
Bibliography of Related Resources—Continuous, Comprehensive, Coordinated Care
The National Center for Medical Home Implementation bibliography page houses links to articles, policy statements, and reports about the medical home and the elements that ensure care is accessible, family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally competent.
Guidelines for Referral to Pediatric Surgical Specialists
AAP—HealthyChildren.org
Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Center—Pediatric Subspecialty Facts and Figures
- State fact sheets documenting the supply of board-certified subspecialists in each state
- Subspecialty fact sheets provide trend information on the number of board certified subspecialists, the proportion in direct patient care, the number in training, and the proportion of trainees who are international medical graduates (IMGs)
- Maps for each subspecialty showing the ratio of pediatric subspecialists to the child population in each state.
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Listing of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Sections and Councils
Council of Pediatric Subspecialties (CoPS)
CoPS integrates approaches to subspecialty education, research and patient care by providing a forum for members and other organizations and by serving as the common voice for the pediatric subspecialties.
National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI)
NACHPI offers a database of more than 160 children's hospitals and information about public policy issues and child health trends.
National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ)
NICHQ is an independent, action-oriented organization dedicated to achieving a world in which all children receive the high quality healthcare they need.
Child Health Corporation of America (CHCA)
CHCA children's hospitals represent more than 20,000 physicians, 100,000 employees, $14 billion in revenue, and $1.8 billion in overall medical, surgical and pharmaceutical products. CHCA Owner Hospitals are North America's leading children's hospitals and are widely known for their excellence in caring for America's children.
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