Our mission is to improve the health of children with special needs in our communities with quality and compassion in a medical home that is patient-centered, family-focused, and culturally competent.

The Medical Home Work Group is a community of families, healthcare providers, and community agencies interested in sharing information on options for children with special healthcare needs. The Medical Home Work Group, established in Springfield, MA at the High Street Health Center through partnership with the Department of Public Health, is a group of parents, providers, physicians, and community agencies that meet monthly to discuss care options for children with special healthcare needs. This Work Group seeks community input from families of children with special needs to provide valuable insight that primary care physicians may otherwise not realize. Families, healthcare providers, and community agencies can learn from each other as they discuss issues and challenges they face in meeting the many needs of children and families.

Processes that have been impacted by the work of Medical Home Work Group:

• New Behavioral and Developmental Care Division at Baystate Children’s Hospital
• Enhanced referrals to community Early Intervention programs
• Improved Access to Pediatric Rehabilitation Services
• Improved access to Behavioral Health Services
• Improved care coordination for elective surgery
• Ongoing workgroups focusing durable medical equipment and hospital-to-home transition.