How do you care for medically fragile children who have special needs? You weave a network of clinical care and compassion that will help them develop and thrive.
That's the mission of Pediatria Healthcare for Kids, a seven-year-old company that has grown from a handful of licensed clinicians to a team of more than 1,000 employees, serving more than 500 families in five states with day health centers and private duty nursing.
This type of care fills a growing need, said Lorie Graves, RN, administrative director for Pediatria’s Stockbridge day health center.
“Through technology and better knowledge, we can save premature babies now as young as 22 weeks and others born with critical medical conditions, but these babies require intensive care in the hospital and more medical help and therapy afterward,” she said.
After 20 years as a nurse and a neonatal intensive care unit clinical manager, Graves was drawn to the day health setting at Pediatria.
“In the NICU, you never see the outcome of any of your patients,” she said. “Here, you see the bigger picture. You see them come in really sick, but then you see them grow and develop. You really get to know them and you become a part of the family.”
Pediatria cares for medically fragile children from birth to age 5. The children may have cardiac or gastro-intestinal defects, respiratory issues, chronic illnesses, cerebral palsy or developmental delays and complications from premature births.
Other day care centers aren’t licensed or staffed to give the diverse range of individual care these children need. Pediatria provides skilled nursing care; speech, physical, occupational and respiratory therapy; as well as typical preschool activities such as story time, educational exercises, naps and outdoor play time.
“We take them outside with a sprinkler or wading pool, and they love it,” Graves said.
The children are referred by government health agencies and must qualify for the services, which are paid for by Medicaid.
“It’s kind of expensive, about $60,000 a year, but that includes transportation, skilled nursing care and therapy. It’s a lot less than repeated hospital admissions,” Graves said. “Our goal is to keep our kids out of the hospital and to make it easier for parents by having all the therapies in one place.”
The young clients are picked up in specialized vans staffed by nurses who assess them to make sure they are medically stable enough to come to the centers. They are assessed throughout the day, as they go through various activities and therapy.
“Our staff ratio is one staff member for every three children and we all work as a team to create individual case management for every child,” she said.
It takes a special person to work with children who have complex health issues. It’s a career, not a job.
“All of our staff need at least two years of pediatric experience,” Graves said. “They need compassion and they also need to think independently because they never know what they’ll encounter.”
The staff celebrates every developmental milestone because a first step is even more precious to parents who wondered if their children would ever walk.
Caregivers must be capable of making quick decisions, including whether a condition warrants calling 911.
“Besides caring for the children, we are helping parents who could not work if we were not here,” Graves said. “Here, they find a team of professionals who know their children and can answer questions and provide support.”
Graves often gives her personal phone number to parents so they can call her over the weekend for advice.
“Just meeting other parents who understand the challenges is a great benefit to our families,” she said. “No one chooses to parent a medically fragile child. It’s an overwhelming job, and I admire the way our parents do it.”
Besides regular conferences and educational sessions, the staff at Pediatria believes in the importance of fun family events. For Halloween last year, they decorated the center with hay bales and pumpkins, set up carnival games for the children and hosted a chili supper for the parents.
“Being around other children provides the socialization children need to be successful in a school setting later,” Graves said. “They make friends and learn from each other. You can tell even when the nonverbal ones are participating. Their smiles are wonderful.”
