Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Medical Home?

The Medical Home is NOT a facility or structure (no one lives in our "home"). It is a program based at the UCLA Children's Health Center that helps families with chronically ill children to navigate the complicated health care system. 

Where is the Medical Home Office?

Our office is located in the 200 Medical Plaza, Suite 265.  We are open from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. 

Who comprises the Medical Home Team?

• The Family Liaisons:

Our Family Liaisons help coordinate care for our Medical Home patients and facilitate communication with the UCLA medical team. We have three fulltime Family Liaisons available during our office hours to answer questions about care coordination. Our Family Liaisons also help coordinate follow-up appointments and procedures. All our Family Liaisons are native Spanish speakers.

• The Resident Doctor

A pediatric Resident Doctor is a doctor who has finished 4 years of medical school and is currently getting additional training in the care of infants, children and adolescents. Each patient will be assigned to a resident who will be the "primary doctor" or "general pediatrician".

• The Attending Doctor

A pediatric Attending Doctor has already finished the 3 years of additional training in pediatrics. He/she works to guide and train the pediatric Resident Doctor during clinic appointments. The Attending Doctor serves as the supervisor of the Resident Doctor and is ultimately responsible for medical decisions and treatments. There are many Attending Doctors who, along with the Resident Doctor, will help take care of your child.

• The Specialty Care Doctor

A Specialty Care Doctor is an Attending Doctor who has finished an additional 2 or 3 years of training concentrated on a certain body system, specific age group, or techniques developed to diagnose, treat, or prevent certain types of disorders. Some examples of Specialty Care Doctors include doctors who treat issues related to the heart (cardiologist), brain (neurologist), liver and abdomen (gastroenterologist), kidneys (nephrologist), bones (orthopedic doctor) and many more. A Specialty Care Doctor communicates with the Resident Doctor, Attending Doctor and parent(s) to create an appropriate treatment plan for the patient.

What does it mean to be a Medical Home Program patient?

All the Medical Home patients are assigned a Resident Doctor. They are also seen by an Attending Doctor. Medical Home patients receive longer appointments and have more continuous care. Each patient receives a family notebook, called "All About Me" binder, which is a family maintained portable medical record, which contains medical history, medication list, physician names, contact information, etc. Medical Home families also are connected to information and family support organizations providing support to all of their child's stages of growth and development.

What are Medical Home parent responsibilities?

Parents are responsible for managing their child's medical care and appointments. They maintain the "All About Me" binder and present it at all appointments (together with their most recent immunization card, insurance cards, letters from insurance companies and current medication list). Parents also agree to attend all appointments as scheduled or notify the Family Liaison as soon as possible when unable to attend. Any patient who misses multiple appointments may be referred for a social work consultation and may be dis-enrolled from the Medical Home Program.

Can anyone be a part of the Medical Home?

We have enrollment criteria that we use to evaluate if a patient will benefit from being part of our program. We do have a waiting list, but we are open to new referrals (Referral Form).