The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has been awarded a $2.25 million grant to support a youth epilepsy care transition project. MPHI will act as a partner on the project, which seeks to help children and youth with epilepsy transition into adult health care. “The transition from youth to adulthood can be particularly challenging for young people and their families, especially for those with conditions like epilepsy. This project aims to enhance coordination across various systems to ensure a successful transition for these youth, while also offering vital support to their families,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “By collaborating with four major epilepsy centers in Michigan, we will provide comprehensive assistance to help young people with epilepsy and their families navigate the shift from pediatric to adult care.”
According to MDHHS, there are an estimated 13,600 Michigan children ages 17 and younger with epilepsy. Only 23% of the adolescent population nationwide has the necessary resources to make transitions to adult health care. This initiative plans to increase that percentage through partnering with two pediatric and two adult neurology clinics to implement strategies to improve transition to adult-serving systems for children and youth with epilepsy. The program will include strengthening collaborations across child- and adult-serving support systems, developing and implementing a Michigan health care transition framework, and creating a Roadmap to Transition resource guide.
Among MPHI, MDHHS will also partner with the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center at Michigan Medicine, and Patient and Family Partnerships, Inc.
For more information, visit:
https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2024/12/04/epilepsy-grant
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