May 11, 2007
Parents
and pediatric patients benefit from coordinated care
MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) caregivers had the opportunity
to hear a presentation entitled "The Coordination of Care for Children
with Special Health Care Needs in the Hospital and at Home" from
two perspectives — that of a mother of a child with special health
care needs and that of the child's MGHfC primary care provider —
at the April 27 John D. Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation seminar.
Kristen Holt-Donovan, member of the Stoeckle Center Advisory Board and
mother of MGHfC patient Katie, described her daughter's complex medical
care, which has included not only a primary care physician but also a
variety of specialists. Her experience caring for Katie gave her the concept
for the MGHfC Coordinated Care Clinic (CCC), which she was instrumental
in helping to design.
The CCC launched in December 2006 and consists of four MGHfC pediatricians
and a family adviser who acts as a resource and support person for families
of children with special health care needs. Holt-Donovan explained that
the clinic serves as a network of support to assist with managing treatments
among providers, including the primary care physician, pediatric specialists,
physical therapist and other allied health professionals.
Carl Seashore, MD, is Katie's primary care physician at Mass General West
and associate pediatrician at the CCC. "Kristen's vision and hard
work were behind the formation of the Coordinated Care Clinic," he
says. "We are grateful to her and Katie for their roles in developing
this important resource for our patients and their families."
Both Seashore and Holt-Donovan stressed that good communication among
the providers, parents and the patient is essential for optimum care of
children with special health care needs.
The CCC is located in the Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care, Suite 6D.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (617) 643-0606.
From left, Holt-Donovan, Seashore and Patricia Gavin, Stoeckle Center program coordinator
