MCHB59 C 5971 Strengthen System Integration of MIECHV-Funded Evidence-Based Home Visiting Programs with Medical Homes

There has been recent interest in better understanding the opportunities and challenges with more fully integrated systems that include home visiting programs and medical homes, specifically through co-location in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). Integrated systems have the potential for better coordination of services, decreased service duplication, reinforcing messages to families, and synergistic impact to maternal and child health outcomes and reduction of health disparities. Meaningful partnership can also ensure families most in need of services are identified and enrolled in appropriate programming. FQHCs provide comprehensive primary care services to underserved communities and populations. Leveraging medical homes within FQHCs with home visiting programs may optimize collaboration and communication and maximize the potential to achieve positive maternal and child health outcomes among families and young children who live in communities that face greater risks and barriers. However, there is limited information and understanding of what linkages currently exist between FQHCs and home visiting programs, which models of integration have been effective, and best practices. Over a 36 month period of performance, this project would leverage existing research on home visiting system integration and service coordination with medical homes to develop and conduct a descriptive study of home visiting programs that have been implemented with medical homes at FQHCs or other primary care settings. The project team would be responsible for reviewing existing literature, engaging key interested parties and consulting with experts, developing a study design and required data collection tools, conducting the study, and producing a final report with findings and recommendations