Mind The .. Gap

Landon Pediatric Foundation

3160 Loma Vista Road

Ventura, California 93003

phone 805-641-4490 fax 805-641-4494

The Landon Pediatric Foundation serves children with special health care needs. In partnership with the Ventura County Health Care Agency we serve children and families who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition. We provide health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. We strive to provide services that are accessible, family-centered, comprehensive, continuous, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally competent. One out of five children have a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition. Prevalence is greater among older children, boys, and children from low-income households. Children with special health care needs have three times as many days in the hospital and absences from school as other children. We emphasize a sharing of responsibility between family, health care practitioner, family service agencies, insurance, and school systems.

Philosophically our goal is to provide accessibility to care by meeting the needs of all patients and families, provide care in the child and family’s community, and provide financial accessibility by working with families in an environment in which all insurance, including Medicaid, is accepted and changes are accommodated. We operate under the principle that the family is the principal caregiver and the center of strength and support for children; that parents are experts on their own children and are a source of essential information; and that our mutual responsibility is to share unbiased and complete information on an ongoing basis.

We strive to provide a system of continuous care by assuring that the same primary health care professionals are available from infancy through adolescence and through transitions from hospital to home, home to school, school to job or independent living, and primary to secondary to tertiary medical care. We provide comprehensive preventive and primary care through pediatricians with knowledge of the full range of child health problems and who are knowledgeable about resources within the community. 24-hour illness or emergency care is provided 7 days a week. Families are linked to appropriate support, educational, and community-based services and information from other service providers is centralized. Our pediatricians communicate and collaborate with all service providers on the plan the for child’s care.

We strive through interactions with our staff, our family support groups, and camp activities to emphasize the well being of the child and family. Family values, beliefs, and behaviors are respected. We actively listen to family’s feelings and validate their concerns. We recognize, value, and respect the family’s cultural background and

multi-language materials and translation services are made available as needed. We strive to share responsibility with families, to

maximize quality while controlling cost, and to ensure that all needed services are delivered without duplication, unnecessary service or expense.

We do mind the gap in services that a family of children with special health care needs experience. We will continue to strive to find the gaps, and to close them.

Chris Landon M.D. FAAP, FCCP Executive Director