People Inc.
Providing Care Management for Children
May 27, 2025
Navigating the complex health care system can be challenging for anyone. When adding in a child who is dealing with chronic health conditions, the task can often feel insurmountable.
Hannah Parker (left) and her daughter Emma (right)
Hannah Parker didn’t know where to begin. Her daughter Emma was born with microcephaly, a disorder that left her with global developmental delays that affected many aspects of her physical and cognitive growth. As a result, Parker has had to deal with many appointments, medical providers, and extra support that her daughter needs.
“I’m the type of person who will ask for help, but I don’t really like to. But over the years, it’s been tough. I really needed help,” she said.
When Emma was 3, her family was introduced to People Inc.’s Health Home Care Management program, where they were able to obtain support and a plan for the unique challenges they were dealing with. Now 7 years old, Emma is thriving.
“I felt like for many years we were at a standstill. But because of People Inc., we’re going places right now with my daughter,” said Parker.
People Inc.’s Health Home Care Management, a partner of Children’s Health Home of Upstate New York (CHHUNY), is not a physical building or home. Instead, it’s a virtual network of support that provides a care manager who is a compassionate key point of contact for the coordination of services.
Health Home is intended to help children with more than one chronic medical condition. Chronic conditions can include asthma, obesity, mental illness, developmental disabilities, and much more. Families enrolled in a Health Home can expect to receive comprehensive care management where all of a child’s providers communicate with one another to meet the needs of the child and their family.
The program was recently recognized for a high level of quality care for its families. At the CHHUNY Regional Meeting in May, People Inc.’s Health Home Care Management team was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for the highest quality score out of all 21 agencies in the region.
This recognition is a testament to the hard work and focused care of People Inc.’s Health Home care managers. Parker describes her daughter’s care manager, Lauren, a vital advocate and person of support for her and her daughter.
“Lauren was a great source of information and just helped me through a lot of processes with my daughter that were difficult to navigate in that point in time. I’ve learned I can just give her a call and she will do anything in her power to help me,” said Parker.
Whether arranging transportation, attending appointments, finding medical supplies, or coordinating communication between providers, care managers like Lauren work with families and their children dealing with complicated medical issues.
“One of the main issues, especially in this area, is that families just don’t have a lot of support. They have these children with complex needs, and they don’t understand how to navigate the system,” said Trisha Lowe, director of People Inc.’s Health Home Care Management.
Care managers will address those gaps in the system and proactively set up an annual meeting and invite all providers and support networks for the family to put together a plan of action where all providers are working together to maximize the child’s health. Care managers also often act as sounding boards and emotional support systems for frustrated families.
“Sometimes, families just need to know that somebody is there for them,” said Lowe.
Health Home Care Management is Medicaid funded. For those currently not eligible for Medicaid, a waiver can potentially be obtained to secure benefits. To learn more about Health Home, please visit our website.