Transitional Care Medicine

Part of Strong Memorial Hospital

Welcome to the Division of Transitional Care Medicine (DTCM)!

We are dedicated to improving the care of persons with chronic medical or developmental conditions as they progress through adolescence into adulthood and beyond. The transition period is an extremely important and vulnerable time as they face leaving their pediatric teams that have cared for them for years. Research shows that there is higher healthcare utilization and cost, higher morbidity, and higher patient disengagement and dissatisfaction for these patients and families during these transition years. Surveys show that patients and families have concerns that they are not being adequately prepared for the transition to a new adult-oriented healthcare system and that the adult system is not adequately prepared to care for them.

All three primary care physician organizations (AAP, ACP, AAFP) have established position statements and guidelines endorsing the principles of healthcare transition, yet fewer than 25% of patients meet the national guidelines for healthcare transition performance measures established by these organizations.

The DTCM is committed to:

• Partnering with key divisions in the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine to develop and implement transition care programs
• Providing a medical home and developing unique care delivery models for persons with childhood-onset chronic conditions
• Education and workforce development at the university and community at large to increase access across our region

Mission

To improve the health and well-being of persons with pediatric onset conditions growing into adulthood and beyond through comprehensive, multidisciplinary, patient-centered care and healthcare workforce education and development in Western New York.

Vision

All persons with pediatric onset conditions have multidisciplinary medical and community supports to live happy and healthy lives as they grow into adulthood and beyond.

Values

ICARE Value	DTCM Definition
Integrity	We value integrity and accountability. We are open and transparent with each other and with our patients/families, honest and ethical while upholding the highest professional standards
Inclusion	We value diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace the UR Medicine’s commitment to being an anti-racist, diverse, equitable and inclusive division. We strive to make every person feel welcomed and work to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and valued. We believe that racism, racial inequity, discrimination, harassment, and violence are public health issues, and we commit to being part of the solution.
Compassion	We value compassion and creativity. We remind ourselves to think outside the box, engage with our patient/families to creatively solve problems, think critically with the big picture in mind, and challenge the status quo by thinking outside the box to develop better ways of doing things.
Accountability	We value integrity and accountability. We are open and transparent with each other and with our patients/families, honest and ethical while upholding the highest professional standards.
Respect	We value compassion and respect. We are committed to providing compassionate, respectful, and culturally informed health care services to every patient, regardless of race, ethnicity, cultural background, language proficiency, or health literacy.
Excellence	We value excellence. We focus on the needs of our patients and our team members, go beyond what is expected of us, take responsibility for our own actions, take ownership of problems, and work diligently with our patients and team to find solutions. We continually challenge ourselves and each other to grow personally and professionally, seek opportunities to learn and help those around us do the same.
Well-being	We value well-being. We find meaning in our work and recognize the importance of our own well-being by ensuring our care team finds the right balance between their person and professional lives.