Reaching across boundaries: a military providers and public schools partnership on behalf of children with special needs.

In January 2011, Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics, a division of the Pediatric Department at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth established a collaborative effort with the local public school systems called the Community Partnership Forum. This performance improvement initiative was designed to strengthen community relationships and communication between Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics, the local public school systems, and diverse military and civilian agencies engaged in the education and care of military children with disabilities in Hampton Roads, Virginia. It was developed as a result of military families and providers voicing concerns about ongoing obstacles with special education-related services. The goal was to create a local multifaceted process to mitigate myths and promote a shared understanding of educational resources in the medical and educational systems. This article summarizes this collegial process between the medical center, the public school systems, and diverse military and community agencies.

Coordinating an interdisciplinary disease management conference on a military installation: collaboration between military and civilian communities, lessons learned.

The needs of individuals with chronic diseases or disabilities are similar whether within military or civilian communities. With finite resources and the continuing global war on terrorism, military treatment facilities (MTFs) may find collaborative, multidisciplinary, continuing education efforts with community agencies invaluable. Collaborative efforts that bring military and civilian communities together can result in innovative programs that offer cost-effective high-quality information to enhance the knowledge and skill level of military families, providers, and other professionals who provide services and care for military eligible beneficiaries. This article addresses the development and implementation of two major multidisciplinary disease management conferences at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP), Virginia. It provides an overview of lessons learned in the areas of preplanning, team building, program development, implementation, and evaluation. Despite challenges, tremendous benefits may be reaped from efforts to include diverse target populations from military and civilian communities.

Bridging case management and primary care manager gaps in a military setting.

The team approach to case management (CM) has proven to be an effective method of providing quality outcomes, reducing fragmentation of care, improving communication, and reducing cost. Often CM teams consist of the patient, family/caregiver, physician, case manager, other health care personnel, clergy, home health agencies, employers, and health-plan administrators. This article focuses on the CM process implemented within a former TRICARE region to bridge the gap between the primary care manager (PCM) and CM. It discusses how the TRICARE Mid-Atlantic region identified and resolved barriers effecting collaboration between the PCM and CM.