Welcome back everyone! It was so great to see all who were able to join us on 9/12/2017 for the first Medical Home Meeting of the season.  As always, it’s a pleasure to sit around the table with people who hold such a great amount of knowledge.

Shelly and Michelle from Behavioral Health Network- Project FIT (Families in Transition) joined us to present on their newly funded program. Project FIT is grant funded by the Health Policy Commission of Massachusetts.  The goals of this program are to increase engagement with primary care treatment, reduce hospitalizations, improve housing, and increase school attendance for children in the home.  The program staffs Clinical Care Managers (master level clinicians) and Community Health Workers (CHW).  The process begins with the family meeting with their team to assess the family’s strengths and area of needs.  Then the team will guide the family in reaching goals with the hope that the family will become autonomous.  The grant is funded until December 31, 2018 and will serve about 145 families.

Some key aspects when referring the patient:

• Eligibility: families with children in the home, unstable housing, and at least one member in the home having an un-met behavioral health needs. (These terms are loosely denied and they encourage phone calls and referrals to be made even if you are questioning eligibility)
• Spanish and English speaking staff members and access to translation services
• Currently serving Hampden County area
• They are currently working with three housing agencies whose referrals do get first priority
• Referrals can be made by calling (413)304-2904 or using this referral sheet.

For further information please refer to this quick information sheet provided by Project FIT.

At the conclusion of the meeting Eric Volz-Benoit had expressed that the MA Pediatric Home Nursing Care Campaign is looking for families and health care workers to testify in support of the Patient Bill of Rights, An Act Requiring Protection for the Continuous Skilled Care of Medically Fragile Children in the Commonwealth (H.1959) at the State House.  Anyone who is interested in participating should contact Eric Volz-Benoit (Western MA Representative) at eric.volzbenoit@gmail.com, or Angela Ortiz (Campaign Director) at manursingcampaign@gmail.com.  For more information you can check out their Facebook page.

We concluded the meeting with people contributing ideas for future speakers.  We greatly appreciate everyone’s ongoing excitement about the group and hope you continue to spread the word to other professionals and families. We hope to see new and old faces at our next meeting on October 10, 2017, 9:15am at Shriner’s Hospital.