NEW PATIENTS AT VPF

Our primary referrals come from New Jersey but we do accept referrals from other states and other countries as well. Once a referral has been made, an on-site evaluation of the patient will be completed at the child´s home or referring hospital to determine the skilled nursing needs. We encourage the family to tour and meet with us to go over questions or concerns they may have about placement and meet with our team.

VPF has two referral lists; they are for non-ventilator and ventilator dependent children. When a bed becomes available, it will be offered to the first child on the appropriate waiting list. The medical team will confirm that the child is stable enough to be transferred to VPF. The next step is to process the financial coverage. We will obtain medical and financial approval from the commercial payer and or managed Medicaid. This is completed before the actual admission.

Within 7 days of admission, the family will take a tour of VPF and meet with our team if they have not done so already. It is very important to us that we have great communication between our clinical team and the families. Our admissions team will obtain pre-admission testing to make sure all current medical information is received during the 7 days prior to the actual admission.

On the day of admission, we must have the family present for all of the admissions paperwork to be completed. If the family does not have available transportation for that day, VPF will have your social worker obtain a method of transportation. VPF also assists the family by providing four taxi passes per month to and from the medical facility. VPF offers the family a complimentary meal on day of admission only to assist in our efforts to help the families remain as stress-free as possible.

VPF staff is always available to answer any questions the family may have about the clinical or general care of their child. The social worker assigned to each child is the liaison to the VPF team and families.

The VPF social worker will coordinate a meeting with our inter-disciplinary team within 21 days of admission to set up a plan of care for your child. Families are encouraged to participate in this process.

We understand that families cannot always visit on a regular basis due to demanding schedules or geographic limitations. Therefore, you may participate via phone conference calls with our team. Our primary goal is to make sure that your child is given the highest quality of care and respect while in our care and keep communication open between the VPF team and families.

Each child will be provided with:

• A social worker that is designated to be a liaison for clinical questions and medical issues.
• A primary nurse will be assigned to each child.
• For children who need respiratory care a primary respiratory therapist will be assigned.

VPF also staffs an in-house physician and nurse practitioners to provide medical services within VPF.

The Admission Department has an open door policy and will assist the families before, during and after the admission to assure a smooth transition into our program.