Family Voices Newsletter
Family Voices Indiana is the new Family-to-Family Health Information Center for the state. Created in 2005, these centers are statewide, family-led organizations that provide information, education, training, outreach, and peer support to families of children and youth with special health care needs and the professionals who serve them. Family-to-Family Health Information Centers are staffed by trained family leaders who have children with special health care needs, and expertise in navigating federal, state and local public and private health care systems.
If you or someone you know needs assistance with health care financing for a child with special health care needs, please contact us. We are currently establishing a website and call center. In the future, you will be connected with a health information specialist in your region. In the meantime, you can contact the Program Coordinator, Jennifer Akers, at f2fhic.fv.indiana@gmail.com.
Learn more about programs that might help your family…..
The Children's Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) program is a medical coverage program that provides financial assistance for needed medical treatment to reduce complications and promote maximum quality of life for children with serious and chronic medical conditions. You can learn more about this and other programs through the resource fact sheets at The Early Childhood Meeting Place.
Is your child waiting for a DD, Autism or Support Services waiver? If so, read our recent information about the availability of caregiver support/respite at our blog.
Learn more about how you can be a family leader....
Are you aware that Medicaid is in danger of being cut in the national budget? Read more about how you can advocate for the program here.
Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services wants to hear from you-comment on proposed priorities
Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services (IPAS) works to protect and promote the rights of individuals with disabilities through empowerment and advocacy, and by increasing independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion of those with disabilities and their families. IPAS has released their proposed priorities for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, and they would like to hear your comments and suggestions. How can IPAS effectively spend their resources and pursue their mission?
Read the proposed priorities here: http://fifthfreedom.org/u/a7 (pdf). Please submit your comments by June 24 to:
Karen Pedevilla
Education and Training Director
Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services
4701 N. Keystone Avenue, Ste. 222
Indianapolis, IN 46205
Fax: 317-722-5564
TTY 800-838-1131
Medical Home – Primary Care and Family Leaders
As we quickly move past the first decade of the twenty-first century, health care reform and the need to transform primary care practice has never been more urgent. The health care reform bill contains Medical Home as the model of primary care needed to improve patient care and stop spiraling costs.
The Institute of Medicine and others have stated that system change is needed to make this transformation. System change within a practice is best done through quality improvement processes. Experiences by members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have demonstrated that "learning collaboratives" help start and maintain this process.
Eighteen Pediatric and Family Medicine Practices are currently participating in a Medical Home Learning Collaborative in Indiana. These practices have formed quality improvement teams to include physicians, nursing staff, practice staff and family leaders. The Medical Home Learning Collaborative (MHLC) is a joint 3 year project with Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana State Department of Health through Indiana Community Integrated Systems of Services (IN CISS) grant funding from Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The MHLC has been working to improve Medical Home concepts in primary care practices since the Fall of 2009. Family Leaders have been an important part of the practice teams working on quality improvement activities. The current practices in the Collaborative include:
· IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital - Muncie, IN
· Blackburn Health Center – Indianapolis, IN
· IU Health Arnett – Lafayette, IN
· Foundations Family Medicine – Austin, IN
· HealthNet Pediatric Adolescent Care Center – Indianapolis, IN
· Riley MSA-1– Indianapolis, IN
· Linwood Health Center - – Indianapolis, IN
· Meridian Pediatrics – Carmel, IN
· Pecar Health Center– Indianapolis, IN
· Ridge Medical Center – Linton, IN
· St. Francis Neighborhood Health Center– Indianapolis, IN
· St. Vincent Faculty Practice– Indianapolis, IN
· St. Vincent Family Medicine Residency Clinic– Indianapolis, IN
· St. Vincent Pediatric Primary Care Clinic– Indianapolis, IN
· St. Vincent Physician Network – Bohon / Craton – Bedford, IN
· St. Vincent Physician Network – Lira – Mitchell, IN
· Shipshewana Family Medicine - Shipshewana, IN
· Wishard Primary Care Pediatrics– Indianapolis, IN
Family Leaders who have an interest in learning more about Medical Home, participating in quality improvement at the practice level, or serving on a Medical Home advisory committee please go to: http://www.state.in.us/isdh/24901.htm and/or email the parent consultants with this project:
Mary Jo Paladino mpaladin@indiana.edu, or Angela Paxton apaxton@ishd.in.gov.
Staying Connected…
FV Indiana shares our updates on multiple platforms, allowing our members and partners to connect in the way(s) that work best for you. Be sure you are receiving our information via your preferred platform:
· A Yahoo list serve has been created to allow timely dissemination of information on policy issues and opportunities for families to give input. You are encouraged to sign up for this list serve by accessing the following link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FVIndiana/
· We are also on the web at http://fvindiana.blogspot.com/
· "Like" Family Voices Indiana on Facebook
· On Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/FVIndiana
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