Pediatric Visiting Doctors and Complex Care Program
The Pediatric Visiting Doctors and Complex Care Program at Mount Sinai, founded in July 2013, is an extension of the Cohen Center for Pediatric Comprehensive Care. Our purpose is to provide comprehensive primary care to children with the most complex conditions. Inspired by the Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors program, the pediatrics-specific program serves children with medical complexity both at home and in the office.
We offer patient, family, and community-centered care, partnering with local organizations and pediatric subspecialists to create individualized care plans in coordination with our patients’ caregivers. Our team includes physicians, nurses, social workers, and coordinators.
Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of children with medical complexity by providing increased access to patient- and family-centered care. By delivering care at home and collaborating with the community, we hope to empower our patients and families to live healthier lives.
Conditions We Treat
We provide primary care to newborns discharged from the Mount Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), children who require technology (gastrostomy tube, tracheostomy or ventilator, wheelchair, central line, etc.), and children with two or more complex chronic conditions including:
- Congenital heart disease
- Chronic lung disease
- Neuromuscular disease
- Metabolic syndromes
- Prematurity
- Cerebral palsy
- Seizure disorders
- Genetic conditions (including trisomy 13, 18)
Services We Provide
The Pediatric Visiting Doctors and Complex Care team provides primary care services through a multidisciplinary approach. We provide home-based medical care for families living in East and Central Harlem. Physicians, social workers, and care coordinators go to the homes of our patients to deliver medical care (including vaccinations, well-child checks, and urgent visits) and assess for any social needs.
We coordinate care with families by assisting with scheduling subspecialty appointments and communicating with schools, community agencies, and other services. For families who live outside of our catchment area, they have full access to our team with extended office visits and enhanced care coordination. We also work closely with subspecialty and inpatient teams to ensure smooth transitions for our patients in and out of the hospital. Patients have access to video visits with our providers and referral to multidisciplinary programs, including the Comprehensive Neuromuscular Care Clinic at Mount Sinai. Our program is a part of the Mount Sinai Pediatric Associates Clinic and our patients have access to the full services of the clinic as well as our team.
Our Outcomes
Families report a high level of satisfaction in our program due to increased care coordination, personalized attention, and health education. Patients also experience fewer emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and shorter stays in the hospital after enrollment in the program. Through Mount Sinai’s Population Health Science and Policy Department, we also observed decreases in total costs of care for patients in the program due to reductions in inpatient medical services.
Our Team
Our multidisciplinary team includes board-certified physicians, licensed social workers, nurses, care coordinators, and administrative staff, who all work together to provide comprehensive care to children and their families.
We are expanding our Mount Sinai at Home service area as medical personnel become available. Please contact this program to see if Pediatric Visiting Doctors is provided where you live, and whether your insurer includes these services as a covered benefit.
Impact of Philanthropy
To sustain our program and increase our services and capacity, we rely on the generosity of our donors. Their support allows us to help the families and patients we serve and give children with medical complexity the best quality of life we can. Donor gifts support patient education and care, research, and innovation. Without this, we would not be able to continue to grow the program and provide our families with the care they deserve.