St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children is pleased to announce the introduction of a new, user-friendly online resource designed specifically for families in the greater New York City area with children who have special needs and complex medical conditions. Developed by St. Mary’s Patient Navigation department through the support of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the New York Tri-State Area, the online system connects families with essential resources that support the varied needs of children with medically complex conditions.
“Caring for a child with medical complexity can present overwhelming challenges for parents and caregivers, who are often confused by the intricacies of navigating healthcare and related services,” remarked Nancy Speller, RN, Patient Navigation manager. “The resource directory was created to alleviate some of those challenges, by providing a central database of agencies and services that can be of help to these families.”
The resource directory is for families/caregivers of children who have medically complex needs or long-lasting conditions that require extra healthcare and support services. The resources in the directory include agencies, service providers, advocacy organizations, and other resources to assist with providing a quality life for children with medically complex needs. The Directory can be viewed in multiple languages and services can be searched by county or by category. The directory is intended to assist parents and caregivers with being the best advocate for their child. It also includes a parent/caregiver support forum for St. Mary’s patient families.
St. Mary’s Patient Navigation Program, which we believe to be the nation’s first for the medically complex pediatric population, provides long-term advocacy and assistance to families of patients at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, New York City’s only pediatric post-acute care facility. The program consists of a manager who leads a team of highly-skilled volunteer Patient Navigators who provide referrals to healthcare services, schedule appointments and provide the stability of a long-term, single point of contact for any healthcare-related questions or uncertainties.
The Resource Directory can be found by going to resources.stmaryskids.org
