This site contains general information about the medical home and educational materials and resources to support families of children with special health needs (CSHN), health care providers and other community professionals such as teachers and early intervention professionals. Our primary purpose is to make these supports available to the pediatric practices and medical home resource teams who are partners in the Oregon Medical Home Project.

Who are chidren with special health needs? They are children with chronic conditions or who are at risk to develop chronic conditions. For example, the term CSHN refers to children with asthma, congenital heart defects, seizures, cleft lip and palate, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, diabetes, arthritis, spina bifida, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders as well as may other conditions. These children have in common a requirement for health care services beyond that needed by children generally. Some of these children have very complex health care needs and require services from a variety of professionals in the local community and at regional centers such as children's hospitals.

The medical home is a concept promoted by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Maternal and Child Health Bureau. A medical home is a primary health care practice that develops partnerships with families and community providers in order to provide the comprehensive services required by CSHN and their families.

Note: The information and resources in this section are provided for educational purposes only. The information is not intended to provide medical advice or professional services and should not be used for treating a health care problem or disease and certainly not a substitute for professional care. If you have questions about some of this information, please talk with your health care provider.

In addition, resources information may change rapidly. If you notice an error in the referral guide or other materials, please contact us.