Important COVID-19 Update
Greetings NRC-PFCMH stakeholders,
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is continuing regular business operations to support medical home implementation and systems building efforts for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). As usual, our team is available to answer your medical home questions and provide ongoing technical assistance and training. For technical assistance requests, please contact us at medical_home@aap.org.
This e-Newsletter includes resources and informational items specific to navigating systems with a focus on providing comprehensive medical homes for CYSHCN and their families, during the COVID-19 crisis and going forward.
We at the AAP are working to stay abreast of all confirmed developments related to COVID-19. Below are some resources to help you access information on COVID-19 as quickly as possible. For guidance and information about responding to the coronavirus, please see the following resources from the AAP.
COVID-19 resources and updates for health care professionals
COVID-19 resources for families on HealthyChildren.org, including:
American Academy of Pediatrics Awarded $6 Million to Improve Access to Care via Telehealth Models in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $6 million to the AAP to improve access to health care for vulnerable pediatric populations. The project will develop methods to increase access to telehealth services and improve the telehealth infrastructure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth already is an important tool to help physicians reach underserved areas and now is becoming even more vital to continuing care remotely to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The AAP's project received an award from the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), as part of a $20 million total award funded by the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) ACT. Awardees also include the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Family Voices Inc., and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These groups will use the funding to expand access to telehealth care to adolescents, children with special health care needs, children in rural and underserved areas, and pregnant women. Initiatives also include supporting telehealth for newborn screening systems and evidence-based early childhood home visiting, and training families to use virtual services. The AAP's role will include developing a model of care using telehealth and providing training and technical assistance.