What is a Medical Home?
The medical home is best described as a model or philosophy of
primary care that is patient-centered, comprehensive,
team-based, coordinated, accessible, and focused on quality
and safety. It has become a widely accepted model for how
primary care should be organized and delivered throughout the
health care system and is a philosophy of health care delivery
that encourages providers and care teams to meet patients
where they are, from the most simple to the most complex
conditions. It is a place where patients are treated with
respect, dignity, and compassion, and enable strong and
trusting relationships with providers and staff. Above all,
the medical home is not a final destination. Instead, it is a
model for achieving primary care excellence so that care is
received in the right place, at the right time, and in the
manner that best suits a patient’s needs.
From your child’s first days, through all the changes of
growth, we are your trusted partner. We are proud to introduce
our staff.
Features of the Medical Home
Adapted from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) definition, the Patient-Centered Primary Care
Collaborative (PCPCC) describes the medical home as an
approach to the delivery of primary care that is:
Patient-Centered:
A partnership among practitioners, patients, and their
families ensures that decisions respect patients’ wants,
needs, and preferences and that patients have the education
and support they need to make decisions and participate in
their own care.
Comprehensive:
A team of care providers is wholly accountable for a patient’s
physical and mental health care needs, including prevention
and wellness, acute care, and chronic care.
Coordinated:
Care is organized across all elements of the broader health
care system, including specialty care, hospitals, home health
care, community services and supports.
Accessible:
Patients are able to access services with shorter waiting
times, “after hours” care, 24/7 electronic or telephone
access, and strong communication through health IT
innovations.
Committed to Quality and Safety:
Clinicians and staff enhance quality improvement through the use
of health IT and other tools to ensure that patients and
families make informed decisions about their health. Our goal is
to provide your child with comprehensive, compassionate care
appropriate for their age and health. Therefore, in addition to
caring for your child when they are sick, we stress the need for
routine well-child and physical visits that are appropriate for
their age and stage in life.
0 to 24 months of age:
We focus on providing care for your infant or toddler that
includes routine well-child visits for review of their physical
and mental development, hearing and vision checks, immunization
updates including 2 flu vaccinations in the first 2 years of
life, as well as fluoride varnish for their teeth from the first
sign of the tooth eruption as well as routine fluoride starting
at 6 months of age.
3 years through 12 years:
We continue our focus on your child’s age-appropriate
development, both mentally and physically, check hearing and
vision, and provide continued vaccinations vital for the health
of your child. Adolescent Care: As your child moves closer to
adulthood, they continue to develop and change so their care
must adapt as well. By continued annual physical check-ups, we
monitor their growth and physical change towards adulthood but
also monitor their mental growth during this time as well. The
teenage years are a challenging time for children, so we work
with the parents or guardians to provide care for both mind and
body.
Obtaining Care from Your Provider
When the office is open, you may call your preferred location
and speak with a nurse, physician assistant, nurse practitioner,
or doctor about your child. You may also schedule a same-day
appointment, as available, for sick and well care. Due to
COVID-19, our walk-in hour has been suspended until further
notice.
When the Office is Closed
When the office is closed, a provider from our office is on-call
for your child’s health needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You
can reach our after-hours nurse hotline at 1-888-267-3675 where
you may speak with a nurse regarding your concerns and receive
advice. If needed, the nurse may page the on-call provider so
you may speak directly with the provider about your concerns.
Our on-call providers have access to your child’s records 24
hours a day and can provide you with advice specific to your
child’s health care needs.
When Your Child Gets Sick Away from Your Medical Home
Sometimes your child may become ill while you are away from our
medical family and you may need to seek care. Please request
from other health care providers and facilities a copy of the
summary of your child’s visit and bring it to our office so that
we can be sure that we are aware of all aspects of your child’s
care. Furthermore, we would like to see your child for a
follow-up visit for any care obtained while you were away.
Oftentimes there are tests that we may need to follow-up on that
were not available to you before you were discharged. So, please
call and make an appointment if your child has to be seen while
away from home. When your child is seen at Wayne Memorial
Hospital or any healthcare facility that we refer you to we have
access to the care you received during your visit. Still, it is
always a good idea to request a copy of the summary of your
child’s visit and bring it with you to your follow-up
appointment.
Stay Informed
Part of our goal as your medical home is to provide you with
access to the latest evidence-based treatments for the care of
your sick or well-child. Please peruse our “Helpful Links”
portion of the website for important information about your
child’s health care. As a parent, it is important that you and
your child stay educated about changes in medical technology and
treatment so that you may better manage your child’s health
during day to day life. Staying informed and actively involved
in your child’s health care needs and individual healthy living
goals is an important part of helping your health care team
insure that your child leads a happy, fulfilling and productive
life.
