The Next Steps to Improving Home Health Care for Children with Medical Complexity

Cara is the author of “I Am Justice, Hear Me Roar” about her daughter. She is the Family Voices liaison to the AAP Council on Children with Disabilities Executive Committee. In the past, Cara has worked as an adult health specialist, a case manager for homeless pregnant women, in a shelter for battered women, a law clerk for a Judge, immigration subject matter consultant, and an attorney serving low-income immigrants. Cara received her bachelor’s from the University of Notre Dame, her MPH from Tulane University and her law degree from Temple University.  

Molly Hofmann is a pediatric advanced practice nurse at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC). DSCC is Illinois’ Title V agency serving children and youth with special health care needs. Prior to DSCC, Molly worked at the OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois practicing in a child abuse clinic and in the pediatric home ventilation program. Her nursing background includes pediatrics, emergency department, and performance improvement. Molly is currently working on her Doctorate of Nursing Practice through the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Dr. Maynard completed his undergraduate degree at Penn State University and attended medical school at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. He completed a residency in pediatrics and fellowships in neonatology and pediatric pulmonology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Maynard also completed three years of service at Pine Ridge Indian Hospital in South Dakota as a general pediatrician. Dr. Maynard retired from Children’s Minnesota three years ago and is currently the medical director at Pediatric Home Service in Roseville, MN. His current interest is researching pediatric home care for children with medical complexity. His most recent publication “Home health care availability and discharge delays in children with medical complexity” was published in Pediatrics in January 2019.

Dr. Carolyn Foster received her medical doctorate from Harvard University and her pediatric and health services research training from Seattle Children's Hospital. As a physician-investigator, she focuses on developing and evaluating health care delivery interventions for children with medical complexity that maximize their health outcomes and optimize their health care utilization within a family context. She is particularly interested in improving the access to and quality of home and community-based health care for children so that they can have safe, independent, and vibrant lives at home, school, and play.