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Older Children in Foster Care - An Opportunity f or Family Medicine
RESIDENTS & NEW PHYSICIANS
disease burden, unemployment and untreated mental health.
Older Children in Foster Care — An Opportunity for Family Medicine
Did you know that foster children have an opportunity for insurance coverage beyond the age of 18?
Many children in the North Carolina foster care (FC) system face neglect or abuse that negatively impacts both their physical and mental health. For these patients, their primary care provider, usually a pediatrician or family physician, is first in line to handle the litany of health problems that often accompanies youth in foster care. Fortunately, Medicaid covers medical expenses for foster youth until age 18, at which point participants may enroll in expanded coverage available to age 26.
Poor mechanisms exist to ensure robust re-enrollment into Medicaid when foster youth reach 18, and no standardized model exists to help the transfer of medical care from a pediatrician to an adult primary care medical home (PCMH). As a result, many former foster youths (FFYs) are lost to the healthcare system as they enter adulthood. Youth who have been in foster care experience higher rates of homelessness, chronic As part of a project sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation’s Family Medicine Leads/Emerging Leaders Institute, we developed a system that prepares Guilford County transitioned-aged foster youth (16-17 years old) for the next step in their medical lives as they transfer care from their pediatrician to an adult PCMH. As a secondary goal, we are offering them the choice to set up care at the Cone Family Medicine Center Residency Clinic.
By A. Bradley Thompson, MD, MS
PGY-2 Cone Health Family Medicine Residency Program
As family physicians, it positions us to assist this vulnerable patient population at this critical junction in their lives. Since we see patients from “womb to tomb,” our broad scope of practice gives us unparalleled exposure and experience to aid patients through this point of transition in their lives as they pass from adolescents to adulthood.
In 2019, Dr. Thompson was selected by the AAFP Foundation to participate in the Emerging Leaders Institute. His experiences with fostercare led to his project for that year-long program and he was scheduled to present his work at the STFM Annual Spring Conference, now re-scheduled for August. Dr. Thompson hails from North Carolina and has been educated in three of the state’s universities along the way. He completed his undergraduate degree at NC State, his master’s degree at Wake Forest and completed his medical school education at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is currently a second-year resident at Cone Health Family Medicine Residency Program in Greensboro.
Using materials from Got Transitions, we developed a transition of care model that assesses a client’s “transition readiness” and then provides educational materials for areas of weakness. Referrals are placed to social workers who offer a link to social services and to a Medicaid-eligibility specialist to make sure re-enrollment into Medicaid occurs.
During this project, I conducted a gap analysis reviewing published literature and attending multiple meetings with the AAFP, NCAFP, American Academy of Pediatrics, Fostering Health NC (a branch of the NC Pediatric Society), SAYSO (a foster youth advocacy group), and Youth Villages (a non-profit dedicated to helping foster youth and former foster youth). Several barriers were identified including Medicaid re-enrollment policy issues, transience of the population, general mistrust from within the foster care community toward
the foster care system, trouble tracking and maintaining up-to-date medical records, HIPPA and privacy concerns, navigating the complex web of government regulations, and lack of understanding of the transition process by social workers and healthcare providers alike.
As a foster brother, my parents fostered several children. I understand the special healthcare needs that foster youth face. As a family physician, I recognize the exceptional opportunity to help find and transition this population into a permanent medical home and help make sure they receive the health coverage they have available through the age of 26. I hope this article has given you a brief glimpse into the health challenges older foster youth face and how family physicians can aid in this process.
For questions about this model or transitioning children in foster care to an adult medical home, please e-mail the author at brad.thompson@conehealth.com
NORTH CAROLINA’S 2020 Resident & Student
Research Poster Presentation
The NCAFP Foundation’s twenty-seventh annual Research Poster Presentation will be held at the Academy’s Winter Family Physicians Weekend this December 3-6, 2020.
The Foundation is interested in showcasing practice-based research, but poster presentations may address any topic relevant to Family Medicine. Works-in-progress may also be submitted, but submissions must be of original work not yet published. Projects previously presented at medical schools’ or student “Research Days” are acceptable, as are concurrent submissions to other conferences such as NAPCRG and STFM.
Posters will be judged for awards with winners announced at the Annual Meeting in December. For complete details and link to submission form, please visit www.ncafp.com
Resident and Student members interested in participating must submit their application and all corresponding materials (including 23 final PDF of poster) by October 1st, 2020.
STUDENT INTEREST & INITIATIVES
Enthusiasm and Energy Abound at NC Family Medicine Day
Annual residency recruitment event bursting with students
This year’s Family Medicine Day – North Carolina’s Family Medicine residency recruitment conference co-sponsored by the NC AHEC Program and the NCAFP – attracted over 100 medical students when it was held in early March. The thirteenth-annual event showcased the state’s Family Medicine residency network and allowed medical students to interact with residents and faculty while they burnished their clinical skills and networked with other medical students.
The event’s keynote presentation was delivered by NCAFP Past President and current Medicaid Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shannon Dowler,
of Asheville. Dr. Dowler delivered an engaging talk titled, ‘Family Medicine: Choose Your Own Adventure,’ to a rapt ballroom comprised of medical students and residents from as far away as Georgia.
Attendees also heard comments by NCAFP President Dr. David Rinehart, and Residency Directors Constituency Chair, Dr. Mark Higdon.
The NCAFP would like to thank NCAHEC for their continued support to growing North Carolina’s FM workforce.
Leadership Opportunities with the NCAFP and the AAFP
May 31st, 2020 Application Deadline
STATE LEVEL WITH THE NCAFP: Students and Residents interested in serving in a leadership role at the state level, can visit their student or resident page on the NCAFP website for more information, or contact Tracie Hazelett at the Academy’s office to inquire. Deadline to apply for all board and committee appointments for the 2020- 2021 term is May 31st, 2020. For available positions and to meet the current student or resident leadership team, please visit www.ncafp.com.
NATIONAL LEVEL WITH THE AAFP: Although the AAFP deadlines are not until July, many national leadership options require support from the NCAFP; May 31st is the Chapter’s deadline for students and residents to submit their application for review by the NCAFP Nominating Committee for all elected positions and some appointed positions. Involvement at the Chapter level (this can be a former state if you are resident that attended medical school elsewhere) is required to be considered for a national position. Please note: there are a few appointed positions with a deadline of Aug. 5th. Please refer to the NCAFP policy on AAFP Nominations at www.ncafp.com and the AAFP site for a complete list of available leadership positions: www.aafp.org/nc.
2020 AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine Residents & Medical Students
July 30 - August 1, 2020 in Kansas City
At the time this magazine went to press, the AAFP is continuing plans for this summer’s annual event that brings thousands of students, residents and residency program faculty together. The deadline for students and residents to apply for the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation’s Family Medicine Leads (FML) scholarships recently passed. However, if you are a medical student interested in Family Medicine, who missed that deadline or are not a recipient of an FML award, the NCAFP Foundation may be able to help offset your travel expenses to attend.
Deadline to apply for NCAFP Foundation funding is June 8, 2020, with notification of awards provided by June 15. Visit https:// www.ncafp.com/students/scholarshipsandfunding for more information and a link to the application.
As of publication time, the following message from the AAFP was posted on their website:
Worry-free Registration
We understand that in light of COVID-19 you may be hesitant to register for an in-person event, so we have updated our cancellation policy. You can cancel your National Conference registration at any time, for any reason up to the day before the meeting, and we will issue you a full refund of your registration fee.
Please note that this modified cancellation policy is subject to change, so book now to secure your worry-free registration.
For questions, contact Tracie Hazelett at thazelett@ncafp.com or 919-980-5357. For complete conference details and most current information, please visit www.aafp.org/nc
August 1st Deadline for NCAFP Foundation Family Medicine Scholarship Program
The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians Foundation has established a program to provide medical students considering careers as family physicians up to $5,000.00. Awardees will be selected based on sincere interest in the specialty of Family Medicine, leadership and community service characteristics, and some consideration given to financial need.
Medical students in their 3rd or 4th year of medical school effective 8/1/2020 are eligible to apply.
Notifications to scholarship recipients and disbursements will be made in the fall. For full details and application, visit: www.ncafp.com/students
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