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Abstract

NeurAbilities Healthcare is an independent organization employing a unique and innovative version of the medical home by the name of “Specialty Care Medical Home” (SCMH). Classic medical home models have been based on Primary care providers (PCP) as the “home” and specialists acting as “neighbors”; however, for certain special needs populations, neurologists are the “principal care provider”. This model has yielded high patient satisfaction and improved patient outcomes due to the integration of specialists and access to novel approaches and treatments while increasing communication and collaboration among the care team.

Introduction

Neurological, neurodevelopmental, and neuropsychiatric disorders combined are the leading cause of disability worldwide. However, there are many gaps in delivering health care to these special needs populations that produce suboptimal clinical outcomes and increase the cost of care. Such flaws and breaches include fragmentation of care leading to over-utilization of hospital-based services and other health care resources, overuse of pharmaceuticals, lack of access to specialists, lack of appropriate adolescent to adult transitioning of lifespan disorders, and prolonged “diagnostic odysseys” in search of proper or accurate diagnoses and treatments. Thus, there is a need for innovative health care delivery models that can provide comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective care.

The AAN’s Care Delivery Subcommittee, under the guidance of the Medical Economics and Practice Committee, continues to seek out and to better understand different and complex care delivery models, their core functions, and features, as well as the professional and personal advantages and disadvantages of these models for neurologists and neurology APPs. One such model is the concept of “medical homes” contained within independent/private practices. The Subcommittee’s Dr. Mark Mintzi shares his insights and experience in creating and founding a unique and innovative version of the medical home, the “Specialty Care Medical Home^®” (SCMH).