A Medical Home is a way of providing high-quality healthcare, especially for those with complex medical needs. It is not a place. Rather, it is a trusting partnership between you, your child, and your health care team.

Not all health care settings offer a medical home model of care, but many do. When health care providers practice using this model of care, they will support your family to navigate and coordinate specialty care, community supports and school-based services.

What to Expect from a Provider Who Practices in a Medical Home

The primary care provider and the clinic are available after hours, on weekends and on holidays, and you know how to reach a provider.

• • • They accept your child’s health insurance, including Medicaid, and have an office that is physically accessible to your child.
    • Staff within your child’s primary care clinic know you and your child when you call and recognize and accommodate your child’s needs.
    • Clinic staff responds in a timely manner to requests for prior approvals, letters of medical necessity, and paperwork for community or school programs.
    • They offer written materials and other communications that don’t use medical jargon or highly technical terms.

The medical provider and clinic staff respect you and listen to your concerns.

• • • Providers ask you to share your knowledge and insights about your child; they ask your opinion and feedback when decisions are made; they talk with you about how your child’s condition affects your family including your other children, childcare, expenses, work and sleep.
    • They acknowledge and respect your family’s cultural values and religious beliefs.
    • They work with you to plan your child’s care including short- and long-term goals for your child, important written information like recommendations or details about new treatments and writing or updating a plan of care for your child’s medical and non-medical needs.
    • When asked, they will review your child’s medical records to give you easy access to them.
    • If you feel a new or emerging treatment is needed, they will consider its use for your child.

The medical provider and office staff support you as a caregiver.

• • • Providers know the importance of community and will connect your family with support organizations and other parents. 
    • They share new information, research and materials that are helpful in caring for your child.
    • They support you to advocate for your child.
    • They assist in the transition to adult health care providers and adult long-term support programs.

The medical provider and office staff help you coordinate your child’s care.

• • • Clinic staff complete referrals and follow-ups, find needed services such as transportation, durable medical equipment, home care, and find ways to pay for them. 
    • They support care coordinated by communicating your child’s health needs in a timely manner to other health professionals, specialty providers, school staff or community support staff.
    • If requested, they reach out to your child’s school or day care providers to help them understand your child’s medical condition.
    • With your consent, clinic staff encourage and support frequent communication between members of your child’s care team and, if asked, attend meetings about your child’s plan of care with you and other providers.

My Child Does Not Have a Medical Home

Families are encouraged to speak with their child’s primary care provider and other medical professionals about supporting them in a medical home, with access to care coordination. While they may not be familiar with the term medical home, families can explain why it and the care-coordination concepts are important for families. Share all the therapies, school programs, services and other professionals that are in your child’s life. This will illustrate how important the support of a medical home is for maintaining your child’s health and wellbeing.

 To learn more about a Medical Home: 

• • • Medical Home Resources for Families and Caregivers from the American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)
    • Wisconsin Medical Home Initiative – Children’s Health Alliance of WI

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Wisconsin Wayfinder: Children’s Resource Network, 877-WiscWay (877-947-2929): Wisconsin Wayfinder offers families one name and phone number to find services for children with special health care needs. Wayfinder connects you to a resource guide at one of the five Children’s Resource Centers in your area.