Pediatric Practice Enhancement Project (PPEP)

Mission

Pediatric Specialty Services works to provide medical home enhancement for children and youth with special healthcare needs including children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Pediatric Practice Enhancement Project (PPEP) ensures a coordinated system of care for children and youth with special needs, and their families, by placing trained Parent Consultants in pediatric primary and specialty care practices to assist families in accessing community resources, to assist physicians and families in accessing specialty services, and to identify barriers to coordinated care.

2010 Accomplishments and Milestones

• The Pediatric Practice Enhancement Project (PPEP) was selected by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to be profiled at the 75th anniversary of Title V. It embraces the six critical performance outcomes that define a comprehensive system of services. In recognition of the PPEP and to help tell its story to the nation, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau commissioned a digital story on PPEP by the Catalyst Center of Health Care Financing.
• The Pediatric Practice Enhancement Project (PPEP) was selected to advance to the second round of the national 2010 Innovations in American Government Award competition (Bright Ideas Initiative). The winner after the fifth/final round will receive a grant of $100,000, and each finalist a $10,000 grant, to advance their programs.

What we do

Medical Homes

A medical home is a team approach to providing healthcare that is accessible, family centered, coordinated, comprehensive, continuous, compassionate and culturally appropriate. A medical home begins in a primary healthcare setting that is focused on the families’ needs. A partnership develops between each family, the primary healthcare team, and community partners. Together they manage all services. PPEP places parent consultants in pediatric primary and speciality care practices statewide to assist physicians in serving children with special healthcare needs and their families.

The goal of the PPEP is to maintain the “medical home” model of care by fostering partnerships among families, pediatric practices, and available community resources (including About Family CEDARR Center) Goals:

• Provide coordinated and comprehensive care to children with special healthcare needs.
• Improve awareness and communication with community resources.
• Provide ongoing, comprehensive, and coordinated care for families of children with special healthcare needs
• Recognize families of children with special healthcare needs as critical decision makers
• Increase understanding of the healthcare delivery system and access to community resources

Family Resource Specialists

The Project places and supports trained family resource specialists in clinical settings to link families with community resources, assist physicians and families in accessing specialty services, and identify systems barriers to coordinated care.

Partners

• Rhode Island Department of Human Services
• Family Voices Leadership Team
• Rhode Island Parent Information Network (including Family Voices)