Overview
The Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides a holistic approach to the care of children and young adults with significant chronic illness.
Holistic care includes medical, psychological, social, environmental and spiritual support. We also help create a medical home involving the family, patient, physicians, therapists and all persons involved in the care of the patient.
In keeping with the American Academy of Pediatrics medical home initiative, our goal is to provide accessible, family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate, culturally effective medical care for children with specialized health care needs for an improved quality of life, while reducing the number of hospital days and total cost of care.
The Center for Infants and Children With Special Needs provides:
- Daily management of children and young adults with chronic, complex medical and mental health conditions.
- Highly skilled nurses, physicians, social worker and support staff
- Improved quality of life, while reducing the number of hospital days and total cost of care
- Continuity of care for inpatient and outpatient settings
- Education and empowerment of patient / caregivers to obtain and provide the best care possible
- Interpretation of subspecialty recommendation and coordination of care when multiple physicians and / or therapists are involved
- Evaluation, treatment and referral when indicated for mental health issues that may be the primary condition or the result of a serious medical condition
- Guidance and referral for family counseling
- Advocacy with insurers, goverment programs, schools and / or workplace
- Coordination of referrals, medical appointments, procedures and tests to reduce strain on the patient and family
- Set-up and participation in care conferences
- Information on diagnosis, treatment and support services
- Providing information on general medical data, community resources, web site resources and support groups
- Guidance with guardianship and adult transition issues
- Active participation in the development and operation of community programs and projects that will benefit the chronically ill population
- Assistance with palliative care and hospice issues
