CHOSeN
CHOSeN, offered at the UT Physicians Pediatric Primary Care clinic in Houston, is a primary medical home for children and young adults with multiple, chronic health care needs. The team provides family support services from birth to age 25 with access to a variety of specialists.
Our major goals revolve around helping families plan the most appropriate services for their child and developing a system of care. This ranges from identifying funding sources for emergency services, planning for future self-advocacy, establishing a community team for family support services, and more.
CHOSeN, or Chronic Health-Oriented Services for Ninõs, has been serving families in need of specialized services since the 1990s.
How we can help
There are two primary services provided: a medical home and case management/family support.
Medical home: coordinated medical care with availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Routine well-child visits
- Specialty physician consult coordination
- Parent and family education regarding the patient’s condition
- Evaluation for home nursing, therapy, and equipment needs
- Inpatient care coordination at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
Case management and family support: critical to a family’s journey
- Parent support groups
- Assistance with appointments and insurance needs
- Communicate and educate school personnel
- Advocacy and supportive counseling
- Individualized ongoing assessment
- Recreational and respite resources
- Location and coordination of community-based services
Staff introduce families to community resources to network and pull together the best possible care for the children and their families. These sources include connections with other parents, physicians, nurses, educators, allied health and mental health professionals, and other community providers of care.
Our social work care coordinator helps families thoroughly understand their child’s illness and/or abilities, communicate effectively with professionals, participate in medical and educational decisions, understand state and federal laws regarding special education, and help identify needs of their child.
A CHOSeN social worker provides families with information on programs that are important to the development of our patients and excellent resources to ensure their health and wellness. These include:
- Medicaid waivers (MDCP, CLASS, HCS, etc.)
- Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)
- Attendant or Provider Care Services (PCS)
- Respite or Parents’ Day Out
- Social Security
- Various insurance programs, such as Medicaid (including Buy-In), Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN)
Patient criteria
Patients seen at CHOSeN must have been diagnosed with at least one chronic medical condition plus two co-morbidities and under the age of 14. This also includes patients with multiple and moderate-to-severe disabilities and special health care needs including, but not limited to, the following:
- Developmental disabilities
- Intellectual disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism
- Neurological disorders: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, epilepsy, mitochondrial disorder, cerebral palsy, head injuries, and spinal cord injuries
- Complex congenital heart disease: transposition of the great vessels, tetralogy of fallot, total anomalous pulmonary venous return
- Genetic disorders: rare genetic and chromosomal abnormalities, Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), CHARGE syndrome
Your child may also have other diagnoses, such as delayed developmental milestones, scoliosis, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, difficulty swallowing or dysphagia, encephalopathy, orthopedic impairments, head injuries/trauma, chronic respiratory diseases, gastrostomy status, and tracheostomy status.
Navigating transitions
As your child ages, a social worker at CHOSeN will speak to you about transitioning to the adult health care system, as needed. It is not too early to start thinking about this transition when your child is between the ages of 12-14.
The following resources can be helpful as you begin this process:
Location
UT Physicians CHOSeN
6410 Fannin, Ste. 500
Houston, Texas 77030-3005
CHOSeN Hours
Monday, Thursday, Friday – 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
CHOSeN Transition Program Hours
Wednesday – 8:30 a.m. - noon
Patient Resources
Information for new patients
New patients are not accepted into CHOSeN Transition program. All Transition program patients are CHOSeN graduates.
Please arrive at least 20-30 minutes before your appointment. You may experience a lengthy wait due to the complex medical needs of our patients. Bring appropriate medical supplies, formula, and diapers to have on hand, just in case.
Be prepared for visits from multiple health care providers. This includes a social worker, behavioral health specialist, medical assistant, nurse, resident physician, and an attending physician. Make plans to accompany your child to the visit, since we will not be able to provide medical treatment to your child if you are absent.
Valet parking is $12. Self parking is $10. We can provide financial assistance with parking, if needed.
Care Expectations
- All patients will be seen every three to six months, and annually. This is a requirement by insurance plans.
- All patients will have regular specialty care follow-up visits. This is required by our health care team.
Calendar of Events
Monthly webinars are held the 4th Tuesday of each month for updates and information sharing.
