What impact will Matheny’s habilitation model have on care for persons with medically complex developmental disabilities in New Jersey? It ensures continuation of the following:
• Seamless collaboration of an interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary team.
• An environment that accommodates all medical and therapeutic needs while providing a maximum level of social interaction that includes educational and recreational activities and frequent community engagement.
• Conservation of public health dollars by providing a continuum of health care services that minimize expensive, unplanned acute care services and hospital readmissions.
• Assurance that healthcare students in a broad range of disciplines will receive training that instills recognition of the need to accommodate this challenging population. It also helps these students be more comfortable and competent in doing so.
(The last in a series of articles by Gary E. Eddey, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Matheny, on the habilitative healthcare model.)