Partners In Care - Together for Kids

Purpose
Partners in Care -Together for Kids (PIC) is a pediatric palliative care program for children with potentially life-limiting conditions. PIC is modeled after a national model called Program for All-Inclusive Care for Children (PACC).

Authority
The Florida model is a partnership between the Agency for Health Care Administration (Medicaid and KidCare), the Department of Health’s Children’s Medical Services Network (CNSN) for children with special health care needs and Florida Hospices and Palliative Care (a formal organization for the state’s forty-one hospice programs). The Agency for Health Care Administration is the administrator of the PIC program. The program is authorized by the Title XXI State Plan Amendment, Title XIX 1915(b)(3) Waiver and Florida Statutes 391.

A PIC Steering Committee that includes members from each of the partnering programs directs the planning, development and implementation of PIC. A full time PIC Program Manager coordinates the activities of the Steering Committee. Eight PIC Advisors are available for additional support and direction. The Advisors include four physicians who represent the CMSN and Hospice, two parents, an evaluator, representatives from the Coalition of Children’s Hospitals and the Florida Pediatric Society.

Description
The mission of the PIC program is to enable children with potentially life-limiting conditions and their families to access a supporting system of care that is continuous, compassionate, comprehensive, family centered and culturally sensitive from the point of diagnosis, with hope for a cure, through the provision of end-of-life care if needed.

PIC services include pain and symptom management, therapeutic counseling, expressive therapies for young children (music, dance and play), respite, hospice nursing, specialized personal care and bereavement counseling. PIC services are provided in addition to CMSN curative care. Hospice team members provide PIC services because of their training and expertise in providing palliative care for seriously ill children. Children receiving PIC services are not regarded as hospice patients.
 
Seven PIC pilot sites are located in rural and metropolitan areas of the state. Site selections were based on locations having established pediatric hospice programs. Pilot sites include Pensacola, Jacksonville, Gainesville, St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers, West Palm Beach and Miami. Additional sites are anticipated in the future.

Eligibility
Children must be 0-21 years of age, enrolled in the CMSN under Medicaid, KidCare or Safety Net. . Children must be certified annually by their primary care physician as having a potentially life-limiting condition.
The PIC program is voluntary and is limited to 940 Medicaid children, 150 Title XXI (KidCare) children. CMSN Safety Net children may also be served as local budgets permit.

Contact Information
For further program information contact Children’s Medical Services Network Operations at 850-245-4200 or visit our website: http://www.cms-kids.com/CMSNETWORK.htm

For more information please contact your local CMS office: CMSN Statewide Offices Information Listing CMSN Contact list

Pediatric Palliative Care Links: http://chionline.org/states/fl.phtml http://www.floridahospices.org/