“A medical home is an approach to providing comprehensive and high quality primary care. A medical home should be the following:

  • Accessible: Care is easy for the child and family to obtain, including geographic access and insurance accommodation.
  • Family-centered: The family is recognized and acknowledged as the primary caregiver and support for the child, ensuring that all medical decisions are made in true partnership with the family.
  • Continuous: The same primary care clinician cares for the child from infancy through young adulthood, providing assistance and support to transition to adult care.
  • Comprehensive: Preventive, primary, and specialty care are provided to the child and family.
  • Coordinated: A care plan is created in partnership with the family and communicated with all health care clinicians and necessary community agencies and organizations.
  • Compassionate: Genuine concern for the well-being of a child and family are emphasized and addressed.
  • Culturally Effective: The family and child’s culture, language, beliefs, and traditions are recognized, valued, and respected

A medical home is not a building or place; it extends beyond the walls of a clinical practice. A medical home builds partnerships with clinical specialists, families, and community resources. The medical home recognizes the family as a constant in a child’s life and emphasizes partnership between health care professionals and families.”

*American Academy of Pediatrics