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Frequently Asked Questions
About the JaxHATS Clinic
General Questions About Transition
About the JaxHATS Clinic
- Do I qualify to receive services?
-
The JaxHATS clinic serves teens and young adults, ages 14 - 25, who have
a chronic medical illness or a disability. The program is only for Florida
residents living in Duval, Nassau, Baker, Clay, and St. Johns counties.
- Will
you be able to treat my type of disability?
-
The program accepts teens and young adults, ages 14 - 25 who have chronic
medical or developmental conditions including, but not limited to, spinal
bifida, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophies/neuromuscular diseases and
others. Please call the clinic to discuss your specific needs. (904) 244-9233
- What is the first step?
-
Contact the clinic by phone at (904) 244-9233 to discuss your specific
situation in order to be sure you qualify for the program. If you qualify,
you can book an appointment, then you would need to fill out some forms
and review the orientation material BEFORE
your first visit.
- How can I book an
appointment?
-
Contact JaxHATS Transition Services:
Phone: (904) 244-9233
Fax: (904) 244-8455
- What time are you open?
-
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00 p.m.
Clinics are held weekly
- Where are you located?
-
JaxHATS
Jacksonville Health and Transition Services
580 W. 8th St T-60
Jacksonville, FL 32209
Map
& Directions |
Google Maps | MapQuest
- What do
I need to bring to my first visit?
-
- Please bring your medical insurance card
- Letters or reports from your doctors, and any health information you
have, results from tests, etc.
- Bring your current medications
- Fill out and bring the forms you received in the mail as the registration
packet or forms downloaded from this website.
- What will happen
during my first visit?
-
We will ask for your consent to be involved in our program. (You have the
right to access your own health information and to provide informed consent
for your care.)
We will also:
- Review any records you bring and/or any records we can get from past
medical providers.
- Do a complete history and physical. Review your medications and any
information you can give us in advance.
- Get an overview of your goals for the future. Review your active issues.
Make a plan for addressing these issues together.
- As needed, we will make referrals to medical or other specialists to
address your needs.
You are the client. As such, we may see you on your own or, if you want,
we will see you with your family or other supportive individuals. We also
support family-centered care and involve your family (as defined by you) as
much as possible. Also, with your permission and only as needed to help address
your health needs, the team members may contact your school, counselor, or
others involved in your life for information to assist us.
- Will
I come to the clinic after my first visit?
- You and your family may have many visits as you work through
your issues and concerns. Follow up appointments are made for you at the clinic
discharge desk as you leave.
Also, if you give us permission, a member of our clinic team may contact
you and/or your school to see how you are doing. We might send a letter about
your care to you at your home. Also, with your permission, we will send a
letter to the physician that referred you so he or she knows how you are doing.
- I
lost the forms you sent me, can I get another copy?
-
Yes, simply go to the forms page on this website
or you can phone the (904-244-9233) clinic to request another copy.
- What is a primary
care clinic or a "Medical Home"?
-
JaxHATS is a "Medical Home" a place for you to get primary care
from a multi-disciplinary team who will coordinate your medical care. We
also make referrals to specialty physicians within this region and coordinate
medical services while help you develop a care plan to best meet your long
term health care needs. JaxHATS also helps you begin the process of transition
from pediatric to adult-oriented medical services. This transition is typically
a gradual process, and you won't need to leave until you feel ready. The
decision to move to adult is a joint decision made by you, your family and
the JaxHATS transition team. The length of the stay depends on you!
 TOP
General Questions About Transition
- What is health care transition?
-
It is the planned move from health services for children to health services
for adults.
- Why do we need to transfer
young people at all?
-
There is much research to support why transition to adult health care is
important. Here are some links to journal articles that explain some of
these reasons. There are many more helpful websites on the Links page of
this website.
 Transition
from pediatric to adult care. Bridging the gaps or passing the buck?
A Consensus Statement on Health Care Transitions for Young Adults
with Special Health Care Needs
- Preparing for transition
-
A planned transition process is vital for the healthy psychological development
of the majority of young people. The role of parents and/or caregivers is
to assist young people become, as much as possible, happy, healthy, competent
adults who can manage their condition as best as they can. This requires
careful planning and a gradual transfer from dependence to independence.
We are here to assist you and your family to prepare for this by looking
at the following aspects of your care.
Please use the Transition
Workbooks to help prepare for transition.
- You and your Doctor: As you grow up it is important
to increase your independence. This means developing the skills and confidence
to talk to your Doctor on your own. We will ask you to start seeing the
doctor on your own for part of the consultation. This helps you to understand
and manage your condition and to increasingly take more responsibility
for self care.
- Medications: Older adolescents have also learned to
be responsible for their own medications. Knowing the name of your medications,
why you need them, and how much you need to take is a great start. Taking
them without a reminder from a parent or guardian is the next step.
- Adolescence and your condition: It is important that
you know about your condition and its effect on your growing, changing
body. Perhaps there are some questions that you would like to have answered
about this.
Please feel free to discuss these issues or any other concerns with the JaxHATS
clinic staff.
- When should
transition begin and end?
-
The people in your health care team will usually start talking about your
move to adult services when you are in high school, or when you are about
14 years old or close to when you are diagnosed (if you are an older adolescent).
Transition is a process that occurs over many years. This allows time for
you and your family to plan your future health care with your health team.
Transition ends when you have started seeing the adult health care professionals
and have stopped seeing pediatric services. This usually occurs close to
when you leave school. Some individuals may need more supports than are
typically available in the adult health care system, and thus find it difficult
to fully transition. If you feel you or your child/dependent may need additional
supports, please talk to our staff.
- What
do I need to think about when preparing to move from my pediatric service?
-
When moving from your pediatric service there are a number of things you
need to keep in mind:
- Learn about your condition, including: your medications, warning signs
that you need to get some help and how to get help.
- Understand what tests you need to have regularly, why and what the
latest results were.
- Become more independent around your health care needs. This includes
making your own appointments, having some ‘alone time’ with
your doctor, getting your prescriptions filled and maintaining any medical
equipment you need.
- Become more comfortable communicating with health care professionals,
rather than relying on parents or caregivers to do all the talking. Practice
asking your doctor questions and answering the ones they have.
- Find out about how adult services are different to pediatric services.
Start to check out the adult services in your area and what they can offer
you. This can be done in consultation with your health team.
- Enroll for your own Medicare Card and find out about private health
insurance.
- When should
I start thinking about adult services that suit me?
-
It is always good to start thinking about the move early, to give you time
to find the right service that suits your needs. This is not something that
should be rushed!
Allow at least a couple of years to find the services that suit you. It
does take time to find out what services are available in your local area
and then pick the best one for you. Discussing this with your doctors is
a good starting point.
- What are my options?
-
Discuss the service options available to you with your pediatric service.
Services can vary throughout the state and do vary between illnesses / conditions.
- How
do I find the right service/person for me?
-
After your first visit to JaxHATS you may feel that JaxHATS is not the
right place for you. You do have the right to ‘shop around for a health
care provider that meets your needs. The most important thing is to find
a provider that has staff that make you feel comfortable and have the necessary
expertise to assist you with your illness/condition.
Try asking your doctor for recommendations, or even other young people
with similar conditions
- What
are the most important things to consider when checking out an adult service?
-
Here are a few points to keep in mind when searching for the right service:
- Is it easy to get to an appointment at the service? (This will vary
depending on whether you drive, catch public transportation and how far
away you live).
- What hours do they open? (This may be important if you have to fit
your appointments around work or study)
- Can you access the building safely? (Especially important if you use
mobility aids)
- Do you ‘connect’ and feel listened to by the staff? (This
includes your doctor and clinical staff)
- Has the service had any experience with young people with a similar
condition/illness?
- How quickly can you get into see a clinician once you phone up to make
an appointment?
- What options do they offer to pay for appointments and how much do
they charge?
- What
are the differences between child and adult health care services?
-
There are many differences between child and adult health care settings.
One main difference is the amount of independence you will be given. With
independence comes the need to learn about your condition, speak up about
any concerns you have and seek advice when you need it. As you become an
adult you will be learning how to do more things for yourself and therefore
not need a parent’s help as often. The adult services will treat you
as an adult and will expect that you have some independence and are able
to do many things yourself.
Many young people want to know in advance what to expect in the adult service
so as to be better prepared. We have tried to list some of the differences
for you.
- Why
is transition an emerging issue in health care?
-
Because of continuing improvements in medical technology, the life expectancy
of individuals with childhood onset chronic health conditions has improved
significantly. For example, while most children born with Cystic Fibrosis
in the 1950's died in their infancy, children born today with CF can expect
to reach their 40th birthday. Today, more that one-half of all the individuals
in the U.S.A. with CF are over the age of 21. Likewise, the life expectancy
for individuals with Sickle Cell Disease has improved dramatically. In the
1970's, Sickle Cell Disease was considered a disease of children and adolescents.
Today, about 85% of children born with this condition are expected to reach
age 21. At least 80% of children born with Spina Bifida are expected to
celebrate their 21st birthday.
In recent years, many leading medical organizations on the federal, state,
and local level, have begun to address the issue of health care transition
directly. In 2001, three leading medical societies - the American Academy
of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American
College of Physicians (which represents Internal Medicine) - endorsed a
consensus statement on health care transitions for youth and young adults
with special health care needs. This statement defines health care transition,
discusses why planning for transitions is important now, and identifies
crucial first steps to ensuring successful transition to adult-oriented
health care.
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Orientation