Communities across North America have  begun to look at the issue of access to health care by children in foster care. Some examples of medical home projects which have recognized and addressed issues for children in foster care follow. More can be found at the American Academy of Pediatrics web site: www.aap.org under Medical Home Grantees.

David Hirsch, M.D.

Cshcndoc@aol.com 

(602) 242-5121

Project Director: Karen Burstein, PhD

rkburstein@aol.com 

(602) 948-8783

Phoenix, Arizona

The purpose of this project is to improve the quality of pediatric health care on two distinct levels: 1) on a system-wide level, by systematically identifying the indicators of effective practices within the medical home and improving the interface between primary and specialty care within the managed care framework, and 2) on a direct patient care level, involving parents in systematic monitoring, identification, and reporting changes in their children's health status.

Project Director: Calvin Sia, MD

calsia@pol.net 

(808) 536-7702

Sharon Taba, Project Director

s_taba@aloha.net 

(808) 536-7702

Hawaii Medical Association

Honolulu, HI

The goal is to promote accessible community-based, family-centered, culturally competent medical homes, which provide comprehensive, coordinated services for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN). Three diverse communities will assure and evaluate medical homes for CSHCN.

Project Director: Vidya Bhushan Gupta, MD, MPH

vidyagupta@pol.net 

(212) 423-6842

Location: Metropolitan Hospital Center/New York, New York

The goal of this project is to provide a medical home for CSHCN so that they receive preventative and therapeutic medical care in a culturally competent manner. Partnerships will be developed with community agencies serving CSHCN, such as neighborhood health clinics, home health care agencies, community-based mental health clinics, early intervention programs, and New York City Board of Education so that children receive the necessary continuum of medical, developmental, and support services in the community. The families of CSHCN will be empowered to openly communicate and participate in the decision making process so that they are able to utilize the resources in the community more efficiently to meet their medical and psychosocial needs.

Steven Blatt, M.D.

Blatts@mailbox.hscsyr.edu 

(315) 464-5831

SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse

Provides a multi-disciplinary service for all children in Onondaga County. Pediatricians, child psychologist, child developmental specialist, nurse practitioner, nurses, DSS liaison.

Neil Kaufman, M.D.

neal.kaufman@cshs.org 

(310) 423-6386

Director, Division of Academic Primary Care Pediatrics

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Publication Code Blue: Institute for Research on Women and Families: Cal State University.  December 1998