University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Launches Innovative Transition Care Clinic for Individuals with Disabilities

January 12, 2022

Transition from pediatric health care to adult-oriented health care can be especially complicated for people with disabilities and/or chronic health conditions. To make this transition easier, the Mailman Center for Child Development in the Department of Pediatrics, in collaboration with the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, recently launched the Progression Across Transition in Healthcare (PATH) program.

The first of its kind at the University of Miami, PATH provides transition services and multidisciplinary care coordination for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) to help them navigate the transition from various levels and types of care. Recognizing the difficulties that some patients have with frequent in person visits, the program also leverages the use of telehealth services to improve access to care and facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration between providers.

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics Jonathan L. Tolentino, M.D., said the team is developing a network of providers and key specialists who are comfortable and have experience with adults and adolescent patients with ID/DD and complex medical conditions. This includes medical and surgical subspecialists, social workers, dentists, counselors, and other allied health professionals.

“We are creating a virtual web of connections that will allow for patients to graduate seamlessly from pediatric interdisciplinary care into a capable, interprofessional adult team that will manage their care into the future,” he said.

Clinical services are currently provided by Dr. Tolentino and fellow PATH creator and Miller School of Medicine faculty Anjali Saxena, M.D. Mailman Center program director and PATH co-founder Shelly Baer, MSW, serves as care coordinator. Steering committee members include Olveen Carrasquillo, M.D., M.P.H., Stefanie Brown, M.D. M.B.A., section chief for meds-peds at the University of Miami, and Joanne Alonso, MBA.

Clinic sessions are held weekly. Initial intake of key psychosocial needs as well as transition readiness evaluations occur prior to the medical visit. 

To learn more about PATH, please contact Shelly Baer at 305-689-7058 or [email protected]

 

Alt Text for Image: White background with text that reads: PATH.