Pediatric Care Coordination and the Critical Role of the Public Health Nurse

The National Center for Medical Home Implementation and the American Academy of Pediatrics developed a Pediatric Care Coordination Curriculum to assist pediatricians in implementing a health care home model as required by the Patient Protection-Affordable Care Act.  As the curriculum was developed, the critical importance of the public health nurse to the care coordination model was recognized. This presentation emphasizes the partnership between public health nursing and pediatric care homes that includes an explanation of the components of care coordination required by the Affordable Care Act for reimbursement.  In addition, differences in terminology between systems will be delineated. Ideas will be shared about how public health nurses in a variety of settings can partner with health care providers to enhance care coordination. The goal for this workshop is empower public health nurses’ with the ability to act as a liaison between health care systems and the community to address the needs of children with chronic conditions and disabilities. Specific tools for care coordination and practice using communication flow sheets and other tools designed to support care coordination will be shared.