Bringing children home: bridging the gap between inpatient pediatric care and home healthcare.

Pediatric home care is an emerging need. Eleven years ago, six community-based, not-for-profit home care agencies in New Hampshire and Vermont took action by progressively forming the Visiting Nurse Association Health System of Northern New England, Inc. (VNAHSNNE) workgroup to improve pediatric home care. The focus of a pediatric home care initiative called Bringing Children Home was created to provide enhanced training for pediatric nurses and bridge the gap between inpatient pediatric care and home care, thus improving home care for children with complex medical needs. The goal of the workgroup is to enhance the transition from hospital to home, ultimately providing improved quality care to the patient and the family.