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National Home Visiting Resource Center

Helping children and families thrive.

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Home Visiting's Reach

Early childhood home visiting helps families meet children’s needs during the critical first 5 years of development. The newly released 2022 Home Visiting Yearbook explores home visiting at the national and state levels.

~17.3 million

pregnant women and families could benefit from home visiting nationally

Building on Strengths: Reaching Unhoused Families With Home Visiting Parent Support Programs

Home visiting is uniquely positioned to reach unhoused families and help them meet basic needs while supporting strong parenting skills and healthy child development. In this video, we learn how Lydia Places offers Parents as Teachers home visiting as part of a comprehensive approach to serving unhoused families.

Stay up to date on the latest home visiting information.

Call or Text the Maternal Mental Health Hotline

Parents: don’t struggle alone

The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides free, confidential mental health support. Pregnant people, moms, and new parents can call or text any time, every day.

Start a call: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)

Text now: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)

Use TTY: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 , then 1-833-852-6262 .

Learn more about the Hotline

• Programs & Impact

Home Visiting Program: State Fact Sheets

In FY 2022 (October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022), HRSA-supported Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs served 138,000 parents and children in 1,013  U.S. counties.

Select a state or use the drop-down menu to view a fact sheet explaining how the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program helps children and families get off to a better, healthier start.

Brief Home Visiting: Improving Outcomes for Children

What is Home Visiting?

Home visiting is a prevention strategy used to support pregnant moms and new parents to promote infant and child health, foster educational development and school readiness, and help prevent child abuse and neglect. Across the country, high-quality home visiting programs offer vital support to parents as they deal with the challenges of raising babies and young children. Participation in these programs is voluntary and families may choose to opt out whenever they want. Home visitors may be trained nurses, social workers or child development specialists. Their visits focus on linking pregnant women with prenatal care, promoting strong parent-child attachment, and coaching parents on learning activities that foster their child’s development and supporting parents’ role as their child’s first and most important teacher. Home visitors also conduct regular screenings to help parents identify possible health and developmental issues.

Legislators can play an important role in establishing effective home visiting policy in their states through legislation that can ensure that the state is investing in evidence-based home visiting models that demonstrate effectiveness, ensure accountability and address quality improvement measures. State legislation can also address home visiting as a critical component in states’ comprehensive early childhood systems.

What Does the Research Say?

Decades of research in neurobiology underscores the importance of children’s early experiences in laying the foundation for their growing brains. The quality of these early experiences shape brain development which impacts future social, cognitive and emotional competence. This research points to the value of parenting during a child’s early years. High-quality home visiting programs can improve outcomes for children and families, particularly those that face added challenges such as teen or single parenthood, maternal depression and lack of social and financial supports.

Rigorous evaluation of high-quality home visiting programs has also shown positive impact on reducing incidences of child abuse and neglect, improvement in birth outcomes such as decreased pre-term births and low-birthweight babies, improved school readiness for children and increased high school graduation rates for mothers participating in the program. Cost-benefit analyses show that high quality home visiting programs offer returns on investment ranging from $1.75 to $5.70 for every dollar spent due to reduced costs of child protection, K-12 special education and grade retention, and criminal justice expenses.

Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Grant Program

The federal home visiting initiative, the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, started in 2010 as a provision within the Affordable Care Act, provides states with substantial resources for home visiting. The law appropriated $1.5 billion in funding over the first five years (from FYs 2010-2014) of the program, with continued funding extensions through 2016. In FY 2016, forty-nine states and the District of Columbia, four territories and five non-profit organizations were awarded $344 million. The MIECHV program was reauthorized under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act through September 30, 2017 with appropriations of $400 million for each of the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 ( P.L. 115-123 ) included new MIECHV funding. MIECH was reauthorized for five years at $400 million and includes a new financing model for states. The new model authorizes states to use up to 25% of their grant funds to enter into public-private partnerships called pay-for-success agreements. This financing model requires states to pay only if the private partner delivers improved outcomes. The bill also requires improved state-federal data exchange standards and statewide needs assessments. MIECHV is up for reauthorization, set to expire on Sept. 30, 2022.  

The MIECHV program emphasizes that 75% of the federal funding must go to evidence-based home visiting models, meaning that funding must go to programs that have been verified as having a strong research basis. To date,  19 models  have met this standard. Twenty-five percent of funds can be used to implement and rigorously evaluate models considered to be promising or innovative approaches. These evaluations will add to the research base for effective home visiting programs. In addition, the MIECVH program includes a strong accountability component requiring states to achieve identified benchmarks and outcomes. States must show improvement in the following areas: maternal and newborn health, childhood injury or maltreatment and reduced emergency room visits, school readiness and achievement, crime or domestic violence, and coordination with community resources and support. Programs are being measured and evaluated at the state and federal levels to ensure that the program is being implemented and operated effectively and is achieving desired outcomes.

With the passage of the MIECHV program governors designated state agencies to receive and administer the federal home visiting funds. These designated  state leads provide a useful entry point for legislators who want to engage their state’s home visiting programs.

Advancing State Policy

Evidence-based home visiting can achieve positive outcomes for children and families while creating long-term savings for states.

With the enactment of the MIECHV grant program, state legislatures have played a key role by financing programs and advancing legislation that helps coordinate the variety of state home visiting programs as well as strengthening the quality and accountability of those programs.

During the 2019 and 2021 sessions, Oregon ( SB 526 ) and New Jersey ( SB 690 ), respectively, enacted legislation to implement and maintain a voluntary statewide program to provide universal newborn nurse home visiting services to all families within the state to support healthy child development. strengthen families and provide parenting skills.    

During the 2018 legislative session New Hampshire passed  SB 592  that authorized the use of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds to expand home visiting and child care services through family resource centers. Requires the development of evidence-based parental assistance programs aimed at reducing child maltreatment and improving parent-child interactions.

In 2016 Rhode Island lawmakers passed the Rhode Island Home Visiting Act ( HB 7034 ) that requires the Department of Health to coordinate the system of early childhood home visiting services; implement a statewide home visiting system that uses evidence-based models proven to improve child and family outcomes; and implement a system to identify and refer families before the child is born or as early after the birth of a child as possible.

In 2013 Texas lawmakers passed the Voluntary Home Visiting Program ( SB 426 ) for pregnant women and families with children under age 6. The bill also established the definitions of and funding for evidence-based and promising programs (75% and 25%, respectively).

Arkansas lawmakers passed  SB 491  (2013) that required the state to implement statewide, voluntary home visiting services to promote prenatal care and healthy births; to use at least 90% of funding toward evidence-based and promising practice models; and to develop protocols for sharing and reporting program data and a uniform contract for providers.

View a list of significant  enacted home visiting legislation from 2008-2021 . You can also visit NCSL’s early care and education database which contains introduced and enacted home visiting legislation for all fifty states and the District of Columbia. State officials face difficult decisions about how to use limited funding to support vulnerable children and families.

Key Questions to Consider

State officials face difficult decisions about how to use limited funding to support vulnerable children and families and how to ensure programs achieve desired results. Evidence-based home visiting programs have the potential to achieve important short- and long-term outcomes.

Several key policy areas are particularly appropriate for legislative consideration:

• Goal-Setting: What are they key outcomes a state seeks to achieve with its home visiting programs? Examples include improving maternal and child health, increasing school readiness and/or reducing child abuse and neglect.
• Evidence-based Home Visiting: Have funded programs demonstrated that they delivered high-quality services and measureable results? Does the state have the capacity to collect data and measure program outcomes? Is the system capable of linking data systems across public health, human services, and education to measure and track short and long-term outcomes?
• Accountability: Do home visiting programs report data on outcomes for families who participate in their programs? Do state and program officials use data to improve the quality and impact of services?
• Effective Governance and Coordination: Do state officials coordinate all their home visiting programs as well as connect them with other early childhood efforts such as preschool, child care, health and mental health?
• Sustainability:  Shifts in federal funding make it likely that states will have to maintain programs with state funding. Does the state have the capacity to maintain the program? Does the state have the information necessary to make difficult funding decisions to make sure limited resources are spent in the most effective way? 

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Family First State Plans and Enacted Legislation

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Direct Service Providers for Children and Families: Information for Home Visitors

How home visitors can protect themselves and their clients from COVID-19 and other diseases that can be spread from person to person.

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Home-visiting professionals, or home visitors, provide many needed services directly to children and families in their home. These direct service providers can include maternal, infant, early childhood, and early intervention home visitors. They also may be teachers and therapists who provide needed services for infants, children, and teens, including those with disabilities. When in-person services are delivered, they are often done in close and consistent contact with the clients. This means that it is important to use prevention strategies to protect the home visitor and the family from diseases that can be spread from person to person, such as COVID-19, but also flu, colds, and other respiratory or gastrointestinal illnesses. In addition, home visitors are trusted sources of information and support for families, particularly those who experience health inequity . This page provides an overview of how home visitors can protect themselves and their clients during home visits.

Strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19

With current high uptake of COVID-19 vaccination and high levels of population immunity from both vaccination and infections, the risk of medically significant disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 is greatly reduced for most people. At the same time, we know that some people and communities, such as our oldest citizens, people who are immunocompromised, and people with disabilities, are more likely to get severely ill and face challenging decisions navigating a world with COVID-19.

People who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines have much lower risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 than unvaccinated people. However, many home visitors work with children who are not yet eligible for vaccination. When making decisions about preventive behaviors in addition to vaccination, people should consider the COVID-19 Community Level in the county . These levels show the degree of risk (low, medium, high) and describe the prevention strategies that are recommended for each level. Prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines, screening testing, ventilation, and wearing masks — can help limit severe disease and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. For home visitors who work with children, it may not be feasible to use all recommended prevention strategies. Therefore, particularly in communities with medium or high COVID-19 levels, home visitors should use multiple layers of recommended COVID-19 strategies to the extent possible  while also following any applicable guidance from regulatory agencies and state and local public health departments.

The following information is a brief overview of strategies that home visitors can use when working with children and families. Detailed information about ways home visitors can protect themselves is in the COVID-19 Guidance for Direct Service Providers (cdc.gov) and in the COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care (ECE) Programs (cdc.gov)

Ways home visitors can protect themselves and the families they serve:

1. vaccination.

Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying from COVID-19. As with vaccines for other diseases, people who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines  are best protected.

Home visitors can protect themselves, their own families, and the families they care for by staying up to date with all vaccinations, including COVID-19 vaccines. As trusted professionals who know their families well, home visitors can play a role in helping families learn about the importance of vaccines and about supporting children’s healthy development by keeping up to date on all well visits and preventive screenings, such as screening for developmental delays and lead poisoning . They can help connect the family to a regular primary healthcare provider who provides consistent and supportive health care and serves as the family’s medical home . They can remind families that children should get all routine vaccinations to help protect themselves and others from vaccine-preventable diseases , and that family members who are up to date on all vaccines protect children who are not yet old enough to get all vaccines.

Families who are not up to date with all vaccinations may have questions and concerns about the vaccines. Home visitors can promote vaccines by:

• Encouraging families to connect with a regular primary healthcare provider and stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines.
• Sharing information with parents and caregivers to answer questions and help with any worries and concerns: COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens, Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination in Children , and Resources to Promote the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children & Teens .
• Using the strategies that health care providers use to help with worries and concerns: Talking with Patients about COVID-19 Vaccination , Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination .
• Helping families who have worries and fears about needles for themselves and their children: Needle Fears and Phobia – Find Ways to Manage .
• Finding ways to support COVID-19 vaccination in their ECE programs .

2. Ventilation

Improving ventilation is an important COVID-19 prevention strategy that can reduce the number of virus particles in the air. Along with other preventive strategies , bringing fresh outdoor air into a building helps keep virus particles from concentrating inside. Home visitors can improve ventilation or ask families to improve ventilation during the visit by

• Opening multiple doors and windows, if feasible.
• Using child-safe fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows.
• Using the exhaust fan  in the kitchen or bathroom to increase air flow, particularly if opening windows is not possible.
• Using portable HEPA air cleaners .
• Visiting with the child outdoors when possible.

Learn more about encouraging families to improve the ventilation in their home .

3. Hygiene: Respiratory Etiquette, Handwashing, Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

Home visitors can limit the spread of illnesses by following all guidance on cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. During home visits, many activities may involve touching children, and infants and toddlers often need to be held.  For COVID-19 in general, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove potential virus that may be on surfaces. However, in addition to cleaning for COVID-19, home visitors should practice and encourage families to practice respiratory etiquette and recommended procedures for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection , such as after diapering , feeding , and exposure to bodily fluids. See more information about cleaning and sanitizing toys .

Home visitors can use the following strategies:

• Use respiratory etiquette , including covering coughs and sneezes and washing hands immediately after blowing the nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If handwashing is not possible, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitizers should be stored up, away, and out of sight of young children and should be used only with adult supervision for children under 6 years of age or for children with certain disabilities that make it hard for the child to use hand sanitizer safely on their own.
• Avoid touching the eyes while holding, washing, or feeding a child.
• Wear disposable gloves during activities such as dressing, bathing/showering, toileting, feeding. Safely dispose of gloves after use. Wash hands before and after taking off disposable gloves. If gloves are unavailable, wash hands immediately after.
• Change clothes right away if body fluids get on them, whenever possible, and then rewash hands. Launder work uniforms or clothes after each use with the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely.
• Wash anywhere that was in contact with a child’s body fluids and follow recommendations on  cleaning and sanitizing toys, other learning tools , and assistive devices, particularly if they were in contact with body fluids.
• Follow recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting the home  if someone is sick, or tests positive for COVID-19.

When people ages 2 and older wear a well-fitting mask correctly and consistently, they protect others as well as themselves  from infections that are spread through the air or through respiratory droplets. Consistent and correct mask use is recommended in public settings in communities with high COVID-19 Community Levels , and around people at high risk for severe disease in communities with medium COVID-19 Community Levels . At all COVID-19 Community Levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal level of risk. People with symptoms of COVID-19, people with a positive COVID-19 test results who are around other people, and people who are quarantining because of a close contact, should wear a mask.

Masks should not be worn by children under age 2. Some older children or adults cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask , because of a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).

When choosing a mask , home visitors can consider fit, comfort, and the special needs of the people around them. To facilitate learning and social and emotional development, consider wearing a clear mask or cloth mask with a clear panel when interacting with young children, children learning to speak or read, children learning another language, or when interacting with people who rely on reading lips. Generally, vinyl and non-breathable materials are not recommended for masks . However, for ease of lip-reading, this is an exception to that general guidance.

5. Physical Distancing

It is generally recommended that people maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from persons who are sick with COVID-19. However, maintaining physical distance between a home visitor and their clients is often not feasible during home visiting, especially during certain activities such as physical therapy, feeding, holding/comforting, and among younger children in general. When it is not possible to maintain physical distance in home visiting settings, it is especially important to layer multiple prevention strategies, such as masking indoors, improved ventilation, handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and regular cleaning to help reduce COVID-19 transmission risk.

6. Isolation and Quarantine

People who are confirmed to have COVID-19 or are showing symptoms of COVID-19 need to stay home (known as isolation) regardless of their vaccination status. This includes

• People who have a positive viral test  for COVID-19, whether or not they have symptoms .
• People with symptoms  of COVID-19, including people who are awaiting test results or have not been tested. People with symptoms should isolate even if they do not know if they have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19.

People who come into close contact  with someone with COVID-19 should quarantine  if they have not had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days and are in one of the following groups:

• Infants and young children who are not eligible for vaccination based on age .
• Staff and older children who are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines (have not received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible ).

Home visitors can encourage families to monitor children at home for fever (a temperature of 100.4 ºF (38.0 ºC)  or other signs of illnesses that could be spread to others [PDF – 1 page] , including COVID-19, and adjust visit schedules if needed. Services may be provided virtually during quarantine or isolation if feasible.

Learn more about CDC guidance on COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation  and about making decisions about the length of quarantine and isolation for young children:  Isolation and Quarantine in Early Care and Education (ECE) Programs .

7. Mental Health Support

Taking care of children requires a lot of effort and includes many challenges. CDC provides resources to support the mental health of home visitors and the families they serve, for example:

• Stress and Coping
• How Right Now – Finding What Helps with Emotional Well-Being and Resilience
• Tips for Promoting School Employee Wellness
• Taking Care of Your Emotional Health
• Learn About Children’s Mental Health
• Mental Health
• Occupational Health and Safety
• COVID-19 Guidance for Direct Service Providers
• Vaccinating Children with Disabilities Against COVID-19
• Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program | MCHB (hrsa.gov)
• Home Visiting | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov)
• Health Tips for Home Visitors to Prevent the Spread of Illness (hhs.gov) [PDF – 11 pages]
• COVID-19 Information for Health Centers and Partners | Bureau of Primary Health Care (hrsa.gov)
• Learn About Child Development
• “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” 

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New Family Home Visits Initiative

The New Family Home Visits Initiative offers support, services and referrals to new and expectant parents.

Through this initiative, a trained health worker — such as a nurse, doula or community health worker — makes in-person or virtual visits to the home of a parent who is pregnant or has an infant or young child.

Eligibility

Participating programs focus on providing services to families residing in Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) neighborhoods , public housing, and families receiving support from the Administration for Children’s Services. However, the eligibility criteria for each program are different. For more information on eligibility about participating programs, visit:

• Doula Care : Find non-medical support before, during and after childbirth.
• Newborn Home Visiting Program : Get no-cost home visits and doula support for eligible pregnant people and parenting families.
• NYC Nurse-Family Partnership : Get your own personal nurse to support you to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

To check if you are eligible, call 311 or 718-637-5235.

The initiative’s trained health workers provide education, screening and referrals on the following:

• Infant feeding including Breastfeeding
• Infant and home safety:
• Window guards
• Lead hazards
• Fire safety
• Pest management
• Safe sleep education
• Bonding and child development
• Early intervention
• Mental health and chronic diseases
• Community health and social services:
• Smoking cessation
• Intimate partner violence
• Getting a crib, diapers and other essential items for the baby

More Information

• Early Childhood Health and Development
• Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program
• Equity in Maternal Care (MHQIN)
• Breastfeeding Empowerment Zone (Baby Cafés)

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What Makes Home Visiting an Effective Option?

Meeting in a family's home gives home visitors an opportunity to know families intimately. This sets the stage for close, trusting relationships — a critical element in any program designed to support children and their families.

By engaging in a warm, open relationship with parents, home visitors support a strong and secure relationship between the parent and child. Home visitors help parents become more sensitive and responsive to their child. The secure relationship between young children and their families creates the foundation for the development of a healthy brain. The home environment also allows home visitors to support the family in creating rich learning opportunities that build on the family's everyday routines. Home visitors support the family's efforts to provide a safe and healthy environment. Home visitors customize each visit, providing culturally and linguistically responsive services.

The home visiting model allows home visitors to provide services to families with at least one parent or guardian at home with the child or children. Families may choose this option because they want support both for their parenting and for their child's learning and development at home. For example, home visitors are available to families who live in rural communities and who otherwise would not be able to receive services. Home visitors bring services to families whose life circumstances might prevent them from participating in more structured settings or families challenged by transportation. Some programs can be flexible and offer services during nontraditional hours to families who work or go to school.

Every parent and home visitor bring his or her own beliefs, values, and assumptions about child rearing to their interactions with children. Home visiting can provide opportunities to integrate those beliefs and values into the work the home visitor and family do together.

In addition to establishing the relationship with each family during weekly home visits, home visitors provide opportunities to bring all families together twice a month. These group socializations reduce isolation, allow for shared experiences, and connect families to other staff in the program.

Resource Type: Article

National Centers: Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning

Program Option: Home-Based Option

Age Group: Infants and Toddlers

Last Updated: September 27, 2023

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HouseCalls is check-in care that comes to you

Did you know you can set up a yearly preventive care visit at home.

UnitedHealthcare® HouseCalls — our yearly in-home health and wellness service — is a health plan feature for Medicare and Medicaid members, offered at no additional cost to you. It’s a way to help our members stay on top of their health between regular doctor visits.

Why is a HouseCalls visit a good idea?

Benjamin Franklin said it best, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” We agree. The goal of our preventive care visits is to help you maintain your independence and continue doing what you love long into the future. We know there’s no way to prevent all health emergencies and accidents, but we believe that by taking care of yourself, you may be able to improve your odds of avoiding them. That’s where HouseCalls comes in. 

UnitedHealthcare® HouseCalls

Video transcript.

These days, you can have just about anything delivered to your door.

How about a home delivery of good health and wellness? It comes from UnitedHealthcare and is called HouseCalls.

HouseCalls is a yearly health and wellness visit that happens in the privacy of your very own home. No driving to an appointment. No sitting in a waiting room.

Here’s how it works.

Our HouseCalls team finds a time that’s convenient for you and schedules the visit. A health care practitioner, a physician’s assistant, medical doctor or nurse practitioner, comes to you at the scheduled time. The clinician completes a health evaluation, including a physical exam and other important screenings, then YOU decide what happens next.

You can discuss questions to ask your doctor at your next appointment, review instructions from your last doctor’s appointment or chat about other health concerns you haven’t had a chance to talk to your doctor about. Whatever you need.

The visit takes about 45-minutes to an hour – plenty of time to answer your important health questions.

Your practitioner will even send a summary of your HouseCalls visit to your doctor.

And unlike those other home deliveries – there’s no additional cost for a HouseCalls visit, it’s a feature of your medical plan. If you’re in good health or you already see your doctor regularly – you might not think HouseCalls is for you, but it is. Think of it as an extra layer of care – valuable one-on-one time you don’t always get in the doctor’s office.

So, when you get a phone call from our HouseCalls team – take advantage of this great program and schedule your HouseCalls visit. Or just call us and make an appointment!

It’s Easy. It’s Convenient. It’s UnitedHealthcare HouseCalls. 

What to expect during a HouseCalls visit

During a HouseCalls visit, you’ll meet with the same types of professionals you’d see in a doctor’s office — a licensed physician or nurse practitioner. They’ll answer your health-related questions, perform a physical exam and offer a health screening in the comfort of your own home. If you choose, your family members, loved ones or caregivers are welcome to sit in on this visit and ask additional questions. A typical visit will range from 45 minutes to a full hour.

The results of your exam and screening will be forwarded to your primary care provider (PCP) and you’ll receive a summary of your visit in the mail. 

During your visit, here are some typical topics you'll cover

• An overview of your medical history and prescription medications
• Conversations about overall well-being, like how to help you stay active, sleep well and manage stress
• Tips on to help you avoid trip hazards in your home
• Community resources and support

Open the door to the convenience of a medical visit in your home

Meet with licensed medical staff on your schedule, in the convenience of your home. Once they arrive, talk about health concerns at your pace (the visits are focused on you and you alone). Use the results to help coordinate care with your doctor. 

• Be prepared to provide a urine sample during your visit—drink fluids in advance
• Wear shoes or slippers that are easy to remove (your feet will be checked)
• Know where to find medication bottles so they are ready to review 
• If applicable, have blood pressure readings available for review
• If you have diabetes, please provide blood sugar test results, as well as your blood glucose meter 

Remember, at the end of your visit, you’ll receive a personalized checklist of topics to discuss with your doctor at your next appointment. Plus, you and your doctor will receive a mailed summary of your visit.

Want more good news?

HouseCalls is included at no extra cost in most Medicare and Medicaid members as part of your health plan. 1  Schedule at a convenient time and we’ll come to you. 

Call to request a visit 1-866-799-5895 , TTY 711 , Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. ET

For medical emergencies, call 911. 

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From simple to complex, we’ll help answer your Medicare questions. Learn more about Medicare

Explore Medicare Advantage Plans from UnitedHealthcare in your area. Shop for a Medicare plan

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Home Visiting Programs

Welcome Baby provides an opportunity for parents to learn about their new role as mom or dad, early child development, and obtaining assistance on issues such as basic health care, insurance coverage, nutrition, breastfeeding, family violence, maternal depression, or improving home safety. The program is free, community-wide, voluntary, and universally provides hospital and home-based intervention for pregnant and postpartum women.

The Welcome Baby pilot program was launched in 2009 through Maternal and Child Health Access (MCHA) in partnership with California Hospital Medical Center, a member of Dignity Health’s system of hospitals.

PARTNERSHIP GOALS

The primary objective is to work with families to maximize the health, safety and security of the baby and parent-child relationship and to facilitate access to support and services when needed. Offered to all families regardless of income status, potential challenges or risk, Welcome Baby includes prenatal and postpartum home-based visits, as well as a hospital visit at the time of the child’s birth.

During pregnancy and throughout a baby’s first nine months, the program can include the following:

• An in-hospital visit where mothers receive assistance with breastfeeding and information about bonding and attachment, taking care of their baby, and resources the family may need as they transition into parenthood
• A personal Parent Coach who meets with the family in the comfort and convenience of their home
• Information and support on breastfeeding, home safety and other topics
• An in-home appointment with a nurse within the first few days after delivering at the hospital
• Referrals to additional resources to help the family
• Baby- and mom-friendly items such as thermometers, nursing pillows, toys and baby-proofing supplies for the home

KEY MILESTONES

Since its expansion in 2013 to a total of 14 hospitals, Welcome Baby has served more than 59,000 families as of June 2018.

All new moms need help and support to raise a healthy baby, but some moms need just a little more than others. Select Home Visiting is intended for moms who need more focused support in caring for themselves and their newborns.

First 5 LA began funding of the Healthy Families America (HFA) and Parents As Teachers (PAT) programs in 2014. The programs are able to work with families until the child is 5 years of age and provide weekly to biweekly contact in the first year of participation and afterwards as indicated by the family’s needs.

Home visitors provide personalized support and information to families during home visits, including:

• Positive parenting
• Child health and development
• Constructive play ideas
• Developmental screenings
• A resource network that links parents/caregivers to other community services

Welcome Baby began with one pilot site in 2009 with a partnership between California Hospital Medical Center and Maternal Child Health Access. Since its expansion starting in 2013 to a total of 14 hospitals, Welcome Baby has served over 59,000 families as of June 2018. Acknowledging that some families would require more focused and longer-term support, First 5 LA began funding of the HFA and PAT programs in 2014, enrolling over 3,000 families as of June 2018.

WHICH HOSPITALS ARE PARTICIPATING IN WELCOME BABY?

If you are pregnant and would like to participate in Welcome Baby, please visit the Welcome Baby Support website for information about how to find a participating hospital in your area.

• Antelope Valley Health Partners Lancaster, CA (661) 942-4719 Serving the Best Start Lancaster and Palmdale communities
• California Hospital Medical Center Los Angeles, CA (213) 342-3127 Serving the Best Start Metro LA community
• Citrus Valley Medical Center – Queen of the Valley Campus West Covina, CA (626)851-2749 Serving the Best Start El Monte/South El Monte community
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital Los Angeles, CA (424)-338-8000
• Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach Long Beach, CA (562) 933-2410 Serving the Best Start Central Long Beach community
• Northridge Hospital Medical Center Northridge, CA (818) 885-3575 Serving the Best Start Pacoima and Panorama City communities
• Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro San Pedro, CA (310) 514-5444 Serving the Best Start Wilmington and Central Long Beach communities
• Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills, CA (818)496-4173 Serving the Best Start Pacoima and Panorama City communities
• St. Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA (310) 900-4710 Serving the Best Start Watts/Willowbrook, Compton, West Athens, Broadway/Manchester and South East LA communities
• St. Mary Medical Center Long Beach, CA (562) 491-4841 Serving the Best Start Central Long Beach, Compton and Wilmington communities
• Torrance Memorial Medical Center San Pedro, CA (310) 514-5444 Serving the Best Start Central Long Beach community and Wilmington communities
• Valley Presbyterian Hospital Van Nuys, CA (818) 781-8120 Serving the Best Start Pacoima and Panorama City communities
• White Memorial Medical Center Los Angeles, CA (323) 260-5712 Serving the Best Start East LA and South East LA County communities

WHICH HOSPITALS ARE PARTICIPATING IN SELECT HOME VISITING?

The eDirectory for L.A. County Home Visiting Programs helps expectant mothers and parents learn more about different programs available in their area, and which is the best fit for their needs. For more information on home visiting in L.A. County, visit: http://homevisitingla.org/ or browse our list below.

Healthy Families America

Antelope Valley Partners for Health

(661) 942-4719

Serving the Best Start Lancaster and Palmdale communities

Child and Family Guidance Center

(661) 265-8627/ (818) 993-9311

Serving the Best Start Lancaster and Palmdale communities.

Children’s Bureau

(213) 342-0100

Serving the Best Start Metro Los Angeles community

The Children’s Clinic

(562) 933-0400

Serving the Best Start Long Beach/Wilmington communities

Children’s Institute Inc.

(213) 385-5100

Serving the Best Start Broadway/Manchester, Compton, Long Beach, and Wilmington communities

Families in Good Health

(562) 491-9100

Foothill Family Services

(626) 993-3000

Serving the Best Start El Monte community

Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic

(323) 766-2345

Serving the Best Start Broadway/Manchester and Compton communities

Pacific Asian Counseling

(562) 424-1886

Shields for Families

(323) 242-5000

Serving the Best Start Broadway/Manchester, Compton, Watts/Willowbrook, and West Athens communities

Spiritt Family Services

(626) 442-1400

South LA Biomed

(323) 757-7244

Parents As Teachers

Child Care Resource Center

(818) 717-1000

Serving the Best Start Lancaster, Palmdale, Pacoima and Panorama City communities

Children’s Center of Antelope Valley

(661) 949-1206

El Nido Family Centers

(818) 830-3646

Serving the Best Start Watts/Willowbrooks, West Athens, Pacoima and Panorama City communities

Human Services Association

(562) 806-5400

Plaza Community Services

(323) 268-3219

Richstone Family Center

(310) 970-1921 Serving the Best Start Watts/Willowbrooks and West Athens communities

The Whole Child

(562) 692-0383

Program Approach Best Practices

• The program adheres to a set of principles that are clear and in writing.
• Services provided reflect the program’s principles as well as its mission, goals, and outcomes.
• Relationships are recognized as the cornerstone of home visiting services.
• Families are respected; the program identifies and builds on the family’s strengths.
• The program demonstrates flexibility, working to achieve program goals while at the same time addressing family-identified needs.
• The program empowers the family to be better able to meet its own needs.
• The program has a clear understanding of its “theory of change” that describes the impact of program services on families.
• The program uses interventions that have been proven effective based on theory, research, or outcomes measured by the program.

Staffing Best Practices

• Home visitors receive initial training on how to work with families and on the program principles, mission, goals, and outcomes.
• Home visitors are able to forge and maintain supportive but professional relationships with families.
• The home visitor understands and respects personal and professional boundaries.
• Home visitors receive ongoing training in their area of expertise (such as early literacy, child development, or family violence) and support.
• Home visitors receive structured ongoing supervision.
• Home visitors can describe the desired program outcomes including the specific positive outcomes anticipated to occur within the family, such as connection to local resources or improved mental health.
• Home visitors are competent in intervening with families to achieve the program’s goals and objectives.
• Home visitors are culturally competent and responsive to the backgrounds of the families served.

Program Structure Best Practices

• The program has a well-defined mission and goals that are in writing and are understood by staff and families.
• The program has a clearly defined target population in alignment with its mission and goals.
• The home visiting program is part of a system of services and provides access to a comprehensive array of services, either directly or through referrals.
• The program provides home visitors with access to a multidisciplinary team to confer on cases.
• The program works collaboratively and creatively to identify and stretch scarce resources to meet client needs.
• The program is flexible and evolves in response to changes in the community and system of services.
• Services are culturally competent and responsive to the backgrounds of the families served.
• Caseloads are a manageable size to allow for sufficient intensity and duration to achieve program goals.
• The program has an ongoing method of assuring the quality of its services.
• The program measures its impact on families in a variety of ways.
• Family input is sought for program development and improvement, and program improvement is responsive to family input and feedback.

HOME VISITING SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

Sustainability is one of the most pressing challenges facing the network of home visiting programs in Los Angeles. In addition to the challenge of unmet community need, current funds cannot be sustained, particularly as First 5 LA funding continues to decline with the loss of tobacco revenue. Home visiting is First 5 LA’s most significant and long-standing investment.

In late 2016, the LA County Board of Supervisors passed a motion directing the Department of Public Health as the lead, along with First 5 LA, the Children’s Data Network, LA County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visiting Consortium, and every child and family serving county agency, to develop a plan to build a universal home visiting system in the County. This work culminated in a report, Strengthening Home Visiting in Los Angeles: A Plan to Improve Child, Family, and Community Well-being . A key goal of the plan is “to identify a framework to maximize resources by leveraging available funding, and where possible, identify new and existing, but not maximized, revenue streams to support home visiting expansion.” To this end, the motion planning workgroup continues to explore and assess opportunities to bring additional resources to support LA programs. Based on this work, the following key themes were recommended:

• Strengthen Policy and Systems For Home Visiting Services to Ensure Sustainability of Positive Outcomes for Families
• Fully Leverage and Maximize Available Sources (Federal, State, Local) of Funding by Building Partnerships Across County Agencies
• Identify New or Untapped Sources of Funding for Home Visiting
• Support Strategies that Have Broad Application for Home Visiting Providing Agencies
• Ensure Grantees are Provided Appropriate Training and Technical Assistance to Participate in Fund Leveraging, Minimizing Operational and Programmatic Impacts

This is a pivotal moment for home visiting in LA County. The Board motion catalyzed many exciting policy developments and revenue maximization strategies:

• The LA County Department of Mental Health committed $50 million over two years in Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention funds to expand evidence-based home visiting services and address existing system gaps.
• The 2018 California budget includes $158 million in funding for home visiting for the first time ever via CalWORKS . A pilot funded by First 5 LA, in partnership with the Office Child Protection, DPSS and Shields for Families, which is currently providing home visiting services to DPSS clients, directly helped inform this policy change.
• First 5 LA and DPH are currently building the infrastructure for home visiting grantees to participate in Medicaid Targeted Case Management (TCM) , to leverage significant federal reimbursement for the County. Recently, LA County has made the requisite policy adjust­ments to enable TCM participation by non-County entities including community-based organizations, such as F5LA home visiting grantees.
• Whole Person Care Medicaid Waiver – In LA County, the Department of Health Services is currently implementing the Whole Person Care waiver, which focuses on populations struggling with the highest risk factors, their care resulting in some of the highest costs to the system. DHS is currently piloting offering home visiting as a service to pregnant and post-natal women that fall in these categories.
• Finally, continued state and federal advocacy by First 5 LA and other partners to expand resources and support for home visiting in Los Angeles County.

Home Visitors Transition Back to In-Person Visits with Great Success

by Fraser Hammersly | Jun 29, 2023 | Articles , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources

June 29, 2023 With the transition back to in-person...

Paving the Way for Systems Building: How 15 Years of Partnership and Coordinated Efforts Led to the Creation of a Unified Home Visiting System

by Fraser Hammersly | Apr 21, 2023 | Articles , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources

April 21, 2023 Building a coordinated system...

To Aid in Pandemic Recovery, Home Visiting is Set for Expansion 

by Fraser Hammersly | Jun 29, 2022 | Articles , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources

June 30, 2022 Recognizing the unique role that home...

L.A. County Board of Supervisors Declare April 8 as Home Visiting Day

by Fraser Hammersly | Apr 28, 2022 | Articles , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources

April 28, 2022 With a flourish of signatures, the Los...

Healthy Beginnings: How Home Visiting Partnerships with Managed-Care Plans Give Kids the Best Start to a Healthy Life

by Fraser Hammersly | Feb 24, 2022 | Articles , Blogs , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources

February 24. 2022 An old adage says: “An ounce of...

Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Healthcare (MLKCH) receives the Baby-Friendly Designation from World Health Organization (WHO)/Unicef

by Fraser Hammersly | Jan 6, 2022 | Home Visiting Programs , Press Room

January 6, 2021 BreastfeedLA is pleased to announce that MLK Community Healthcare (MLKCH) is the first and only hospital newly designated as a Baby-Friendly Hospital by Baby-Friendly USA in California in 2021! MLKCH is one of twenty birthing hospitals in the County of...

Home Visiting Sees Success with Online Services

by Fraser Hammersly | Nov 18, 2021 | Articles , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources

November 18, 2021 Two years ago, only three families...

Home Visitors Tap Resilience and Adaptability to Thrive in a Tough Year

by Fraser Hammersly | Jun 29, 2021 | Articles , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources

June 29, 2021 If there is a silver lining to the...

Filling a Gap with LGBTQ+ Training for Parent Coaches 

by Fraser Hammersly | Jun 28, 2021 | Articles , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources

June 29, 2021 In discussions about parenting and...

What We Wish For in 2021

by Fraser Hammersly | Jan 28, 2021 | Articles , Home Visiting Programs , News & Resources , Welcome Baby

January 27, 2021 Among the thousands of...

Look out for your health

A UnitedHealthcare® HouseCalls visit is a no-cost, yearly health check-in that can make a big difference. 

Call 1-866-799-5895 ,

TTY 711,  to schedule your visit.

HouseCalls brings yearly check-in care

To you at home.

Connect for up to a full hour of 1-on-1 time with a licensed health care practitioner. Every visit includes a physical, tailored recommendations on health care screenings and plenty of time to ask questions that matter to you.

After your visit, HouseCalls connects with your primary care provider (PCP) to help keep them informed about your health. It's a great way to feel confident knowing an extra set of eyes is looking out for you between regular PCP visits.

What is a HouseCalls visit? 

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HouseCalls is our way of looking out for your health, so you can focus on your future. Here’s what it’s all about.

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Once a year, a licensed health care practitioner can come to your home to spend up to an hour with you on your health and wellness.

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It's designed to be easy, convenient and informative.

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You'll get a head-to-toe exam, important health screenings and plenty of time to talk about your health goals.

We'll also provide guidance on managing your health and if you need it, give you referrals for other health plan resources and services.

HouseCalls is a great way to stay on top of your health between regular doctor's visits.

At the end of your visit, you'll get a personalized checklist so you can feel more confident in what to discuss with your regular doctor.

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If you're wondering how much all of this is going to cost, the best part is, there is no extra cost to you. It's included in your health plan.

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A HouseCalls visit takes place in the comfort of your own home or by video if you prefer.

So, say hello to HouseCalls and invite us in for a visit today.

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Access one of the most popular UnitedHealthcare offerings, at no cost to you

Schedule your visit

Call 1-866-799-5895 , TTY 711

Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8:30 p.m. ET

Your in-home health check-in

• Up to a full hour with a licensed health care practitioner
• Ask the questions that matter to you and get valuable health tips
• No cost — it's included in your health plan

Get rewarded

Meet your friendly housecalls medical staff.

Just like the professionals you see in your regular doctor’s office, our licensed health care practitioners may be nurse practitioners, physician assistants or medical doctors. They’re state licensed and maintain national certification.

We perform background checks on these professionals to provide additional peace of mind for our members. Your loved ones, caregivers or friends are welcome to be present during the visit — it’s up to you.

Ready to open the door to better health?

Getting ready for your housecalls appointment, tips to help you prepare:  .

• Wear shoes that are easily removed to have your feet checked
• Make a list of upcoming appointments with your PCP and specialists
• Make sure all of your medications, both prescription and over-the-counter vitamins and supplements, are in their original bottles for our review
• If you record blood pressure readings, please have your results available for review
• If you have diabetes, please have your blood glucose meter handy
• Make a list of questions and concerns you’d like to discuss

During your appointment

• You'll have up to a full hour of 1-on-1 time with your health care practitioner for a physical, select lab tests, health screenings and more
• A HouseCalls visit can be completed while sitting at your kitchen table or in the living room, and you can use the time to ask any health-related questions
• The visit is tailored to your individual needs, so screenings and conversation topics can vary

After your appointment

Less travel time. more face time..

Think of HouseCalls as an extra layer of care — valuable 1-on-1 time you don't always get in the doctor's office. And it's tailored to your individual needs.

Schedule today

To secure your spot, call us at  1-866-799-5895 , TTY 711

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Find answers to frequently asked questions.  

If you have a specific question about your upcoming appointment or need to reschedule, call us at 1-866-799-5895, TTY 711 , Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8:30 p.m. ET

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The UCSF-John Muir Health Jean and Ken Hofmann Cancer Center at the Behring Pavilion is now open.  LEARN MORE >

Home Visit Program

We provide primary care home visits, with services that include routine exams to comprehensive treatment plans. All of this is done in the comfort of your home. Please call our office at  (925) 296-9870  for any questions about your medical care or home visit appointment.

Welcome to the Home Visit Program

We know that at times you may find it difficult to travel to your primary care doctor’s office for your appointment. We provide primary care home visits, with services that include routine exams to comprehensive treatment plans. All of this is done in the comfort of your home. Our physicians and nurse practitioners are highly experienced in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine and provide high-quality compassionate care. Our goal is to optimize your health and well-being, when and where you need it. We work closely with your primary care provider and palliative care providers to collaborate on your medical care.

How home visits work

• Our office staff will call to schedule your home visit appointment and remind you a day in advance before your next appointment.
• Your home visit appointment will be scheduled between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
• At your home visit, a physician or nurse practitioner will examine you and review all your current medications.
• Your home visit care is documented in your electronic health record to ensure all of your providers can access your clinical care records.
• Follow-up home visits may be scheduled as needed.

Support services

• Medication refills can be handled over the phone by contacting our office during office hours.
• For non-urgent matters after hours and on weekends, that cannot wait until the next business day, please call the office at (925) 296-9870 and your call will be directed to an on-call provider.
• In any emergency, please call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

Preparing for your home visit

• If you have a caretaker, please be sure your caretaker is present when the physician or nurse practitioner arrives.
• Collect all your medication bottles in a bag for your provider to review.
• If you are being seen by other home health nurses or other healthcare providers, please have their paperwork available for your provider to review.

Please call our office at  (925) 296-9870  for any questions about your medical care or home visit appointment.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Is there a physician that can make “house calls” or see me in my home? Yes, our Home Visit Program provides primary care visits by a physician or nurse practitioner to patients in your home or place of residence.

Am I eligible for a home visit? If you have difficulty going to your medical appointments, you can ask your Primary Care Provider to refer you to this program or you can call our office and our staff can assist you with finding the appropriate care for your medical needs.

What does this cost? We accept Medicare and partner with most health insurance plans. When scheduling your appointment, the office staff can assist you with your health insurance questions.

What services are offered? Our services include detailed physical examinations, review of prescribed medications, immunizations, diabetic care, minor wound care procedures, and any needed follow-up visits. We can also assess your need for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) such as canes, walkers, wheelchairs, braces, and diabetic footwear.

How often are your home visit appointments? Each patient is seen as medically necessary based on a physicians’ or nurse practitioners’ assessment and plan of care. By visiting you at home, we are often able to prevent the need for urgent care services. The follow-up visits and ongoing care will depend on your overall treatment plan.

What days or times can I schedule a home visit appointment? We are available to make home visit appointments Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. An appointment time slot in the morning or afternoon will be scheduled considering factors such as traffic and the length of other patients’ visits.

Are home visits available in my city? Home visit appointments are available in: Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Alamo, Danville, and San Ramon.

What about my Primary Care Provider? The Home Visit physician or nurse practitioner collaborates and communicates with your Primary Care Provider. We encourage you to keep your relationships and open communication with your Primary Care Providers and Specialists.

What if I have an emergency or have to call a doctor after-hours? You will be given written instructions to help you understand when to call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest Urgent Care Center or Emergency Department. For your questions or concerns after 4:30 PM or on weekends, please call the office phone  (925) 296-9870 and your calls will be directed to an on-call provider.

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FDA Launches Health Care at Home Initiative to Help Advance Health Equity

Initiative aims to better position agency to address health care needs by moving care into the home setting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2024

The following is attributed to Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) and Michelle Tarver, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director for transformation at CDRH

Clinical care is undergoing an evolution that has been accelerated over the last few years by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Health care has primarily been centered on health care systems and their components—hospitals, clinics, providers, and payers. However, many challenges persist, such as primary care physician and specialist shortages, significant increases in health care costs, higher chronic disease prevalence rates, and often the inability to meet the health care needs of millions of people who have no or limited access to health care systems. People from various racial and ethnic minority populations and those who live in rural communities and lower-income neighborhoods are impacted the most by these system challenges, which furthers health disparities across the nation.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing the launch of a new initiative, Home as a Health Care Hub, to help reimagine the home environment as an integral part of the health care system, with the goal of advancing health equity for all people in the U.S. While many care options are currently attempting to use the home as a virtual clinical site, very few have considered the structural and critical elements of the home that will be required to absorb this transference of care. Moreover, devices intended for use in the home tend to be designed to operate in isolation rather than as part of an integrated, holistic environment. As a result, patients may have to use several disparate medical devices, some never intended for the home environment, rather than interact with medical-grade, consumer-designed, customizable technologies that seamlessly integrate into an individual person's lifestyle.

The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has contracted with an architectural firm that intentionally designs innovative buildings with health and equity in mind, to consider the needs of variable models of a home and tailor solutions with opportunities to adapt and evolve in complexity and scale. The hub will be designed as an Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR)-enabled home prototype and is expected to be completed later this year.

This partnership includes collaboration with patient groups, health care providers, and the medical device industry to build the Home as a Health Care Hub. This prototype will serve as an idea lab, not only to connect with populations most affected by health inequity, but also for medical device developers, policy makers, and providers to begin developing home-based solutions that advance health equity. Existing models that have examined care delivery at home have found great patient satisfaction, good adherence, and potential cost savings to health care systems. By beginning with dwellings in rural locations and lower-income communities, the planned prototype will be intentionally designed with the goal of advancing health equity.

The FDA is using diabetes as an example health condition for the hub prototype given the impacts over the lifecycle of someone living with this condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ), over $300 billion per year was spent on medical costs for diabetes in the U.S. in 2022. This is a 35% increase over the past decade, which is disproportionately borne by underserved communities and communities of color. Diabetes is a condition that impacts most major organs and can result in significant morbidity and early mortality, including cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, blindness, and amputations.

To increase access to health care and maximize health outcomes, it is critical that the delivery of personalized care has people at the center. By shifting the care model from systems to people, the health care system can triage scarce resources to those with the most urgent and critical needs and tailor personalized care for those managing chronic conditions. The Home as a Health Care Hub prototype is the beginning of the conversation—helping device developers consider novel design approaches, aiding providers to consider opportunities to educate patients and extend care options, generating discussions on value-based care paradigms, and opening opportunities to bring clinical trials and other evidence generation processes to underrepresented communities through the home. 

As a part of CDRH's strategic priority to advance health equity , CDRH continues to support innovation that addresses health equity by moving care, as well as prevention and wellness, into the home setting. CDRH is committed to fostering innovation that improves public health by launching the Home as a Health Care Hub effort to enable solutions that seamlessly integrate medical devices and health care, prevention and wellness into people's lives, leading to a longer, higher quality life for all.

Additional Resources:

• CDRH Strategic Priorities and Updates

CT expands free home health care program for first-time parents

A Connecticut program that helps new parents transition to life with a newborn is expanding. The Family Bridge program has already helped hundreds families in the greater Bridgeport area — soon, it will be offered in Norwich, too.

The Family Bridge program launched in October of 2023. It offers new parents three free visits from a registered nurse, who can give exams to babies and mothers, and teach parents about bathing, feeding, sleeping and safety.

Parents can also receive visits from a community health worker, who can help them get primary care physicians, diapers, formula and more.

More than 460 visits have been made so far.

Gov. Ned Lamont, who announced he will be a grandfather soon, said it’s proof Connecticut is “rolling out the red carpet” for babies.

“Connecticut, I always say, is the most family-friendly state in the country,” Lamont said. “And it starts by giving every single kid the very best opportunity in life, which starts right at birth, making sure that moms know that they have the support they have; we love them, we care for them.”

Bianca Charles recently gave birth to her third son, Juneau. She said the program made her feel seen, especially amid the Black maternal health crisis — Black women are three times as likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women.

“When [the nurse] came to the home, she had equipment for myself, for the baby, I mean, lots of it. Everything that I needed, that the baby did, it was there,” Charles said. “I'm not sure how she handled it. And those are the tangibles. The intangibles that she brought along was the care, the concern, the listening ear, the gentleness, the time that she took to sit down in my home.”

During its pilot phase, the program was offered to families that gave birth at Bridgeport or St. Vincent’s Hospital and live in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, or Trumbull.

On May 31, it will be available for babies born at St. Vincent’s, and later this year, it will expand to Norwich.

The program is funded by $3 million from the Center for Disease Control, the U.S. Treasury and preschool development grants.

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UT Tyler Health Science Center

Build a healthier tomorrow.

Home to the region’s only academic medical center, The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center is one of the five campuses of UT Tyler. Two of UT Tyler’s four health-related schools have a presence on this campus: the School of Health Professions and the School of Medicine.

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The UT Tyler Health Science Center facility offers an array of crucial medical and healthcare education resources, fostering an environment dedicated to excellence in education. From cutting-edge simulation labs to dedicated research spaces, every aspect of the UT Tyler Health Science Center is designed to enhance the educational experience. This dynamic campus is not just a hub for learning; it’s a catalyst for progress in healthcare education and a testament to UT Tyler's commitment to shaping the future of healthcare in the East Texas region.

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UT Tyler pioneers solutions to improve health. Several research centers, including the Center for Mycobacterial Treatment and Discovery and the Center for Biomedical Research, are housed on this campus. The centers build on our history of innovative treatments for lung disease and focus on the health concerns of rural populations through projects funded by agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students benefit from hands-on research opportunities and instruction informed by the latest developments in the field. 

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In its regional network of hospitals, clinics and other facilities, UT Health East Texas delivers world-class care to thousands of patients each year while conducting clinical trials and training the next generation of professionals through UT Tyler’s unique programs. The UT Tyler Health Science Center is home to UT Health North Campus Tyler .

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Faculty, staff and students at the UT Tyler Health Science Center campus connect their expertise with local community needs to assist traditionally underserved populations through an array of health and outreach programs, including behavioral health telemedicine services for rural populations, cancer screenings, parental education, lifestyle changes and more.

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To strengthen regional healthcare, we train community health workers, promote healthcare careers in underrepresented communities and support community health education and development efforts.

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Jonathan Kelly, DO

Groundbreaking program brings hospital-quality care to home.

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There’s no place like home — and now hospitals are starting to recognize that as well. 

For generations, we’ve been told that the best place to be when we are sick is in the hospital. But now, telemedicine, remote monitoring and frequent visits from nurses are allowing hospitals like NYU Langone to be at the forefront of caring for patients from the comfort of their own bed. 

Jonathan Kelly, DO, medical director of the Hospital at Home Program at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island , explains how a groundbreaking concept is changing the way patients recover by taking them away from the brick and mortar of the hospital and allowing them to heal in the comfort of their own home with the support of their family.

What is Home Hospital?

Home Hospital is a life-changing shift in medicine, which allows patients with acute ‘hospital-worthy’ illnesses to be cared for in the comfort of their home. By using telemedicine and remote patient monitoring, our team has 24/7 access to a patient’s real-time vital signs and clinical data, just as we would in the hospital. Patients receive at least two daily visits from an NYU nurse in their home, daily physician follow-ups, and all of the services we expect from a hospital—such as lab draws, imaging, IV medications, physical therapy, social work, and access to medical specialists.  The goal is to create a literal ‘copy and paste’ of the hospital in the patients’ homes, while allowing them to heal in the place they know best. 

How does a patient qualify?

We’ve worked closely with our medical board, a designated team of medical specialists that reviews the safety of programs, to outline specific diagnoses best suited for home hospital. Some of these include: skin infections (cellulitis), complicated urinary tract infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, pneumonia, and congestive heart failure. Patients are initially admitted to the hospital and once they are stable, are given the option to be transferred home. They must live within a pre-determined radius of the hospital so that they can be easily reached. We have contracted with a number of insurance companies, including Medicare, to be able to provide complete care for patients at home. If a patient chooses to participate in the program, they are often transferred home the same day. 

Why is it beneficial?

If you’ve ever been hospitalized—woken up throughout the night, listening to monitors ringing, and sleeping in an uncomfortable bed, then it should be clear why recovering at home would be a great alternative. 

We’ve seen numerous benefits to this new practice: the elderly do not experience confusion and delirium (a condition often needlessly extending their time in the hospital), the vulnerable are not exposed to additional infection risk, and the sick are allowed to sleep in their own bed while resting comfortably knowing that their vital signs are monitored continuously by dedicated clinical staff. 

We have seen astounding success with respect to patient satisfaction, and receive letters every week from our patients saying how they would never want to be hospitalized any other way. By allowing patients to be placed back at the center of their own care, they are able to make more informed decisions, leading to better clinical outcomes and few unnecessary readmissions. 

What if a person lives alone?

You don’t have to have a caretaker because help is just a phone call away. We can even send daily meals to patients to help support them, and if they want a doctor to make a house call, we can easily arrange one. 

How successful is Home Hospital?

We’ve had no cases of hospital acquired infections or delirium in our patients. They have ranged in age from 23 to 102. Of more than 500 patients, only one requested to go back to the hospital, but blamed it on their personal fears of being at home. After tremendous success at one of its hospitals, NYU Langone is exploring opportunities to expand the program.

Jonathan Kelly, DO, is medical director of the Hospital at Home Program at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island. He is also a clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. Dr. Kelly went to school in Tennessee and always wanted to be a country doctor. He’s still making “house calls” through Home Hospital.

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Planning a trip to Moscow? Our travel guide contains up-to-date, personal information on everything from what to see , to when to visit , where to stay , and what to eat !

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Why visit Moscow?

Majestic churches, impressive historic fortresses, and palatial buildings: Moscow is a fascinating city whose emblematic architecture reflects the turbulent history that has defined Russia throughout the centuries.

The traces of the USSR can be found around every corner of the city , side by side with the iconic relics of Imperial Russia , like the mythical Red Square , the imposing Kremlin , and the beautiful  St Basil's Cathedral . 

Discover a fascinating world of Cold War bunkers, golden-domed basilicas, world-class art museums, and the legendary "palace of the people,"  as the Moscow Metro has been nicknamed. Whether you fancy watching a classical Russian ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre , perusing the fine arts at the Pushkin Museum , or marveling at the sheer size of the monuments to the Soviet state's achievements at the  All-Russia Exhibition Centre , this travel guide will help you on your way!

Where to start?

If you're going to travel to Moscow and you don't know much about the city yet, the first thing to do is to dive into its legendary history - understanding the past will help you understand the present. Next, check out our practical hints and tips on traveling to the city before discovering which of its most important museums , monuments , and attractions pique your interest.

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Booking your accommodation in advance is the best way to get great discounts. Our detailed guide on where to stay in Moscow  will help you decide which neighborhood you'd like to look for hotels or apartments in, and our hotel search engine will find you the best deals!

Why is our Moscow travel guide the best?

Introducing Moscow is a  city guide written by travelers for travelers  and contains personalized advice to help you make the most of your trip to the city.

All the information in this guide is valid as of December 2022. If you find any errors or have any comments, please feel free to contact us .

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Changes to the Start-up Visa and Self-Employed Persons programs to help reduce backlogs and improve processing times

From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

News release

Immigration is critical to the growth of our economy and our communities. Improving processing times is key to providing an immigration system that works better for newcomers and Canadians alike, which is why we are taking action to reduce wait times and modernize our programs and services.

April 29, 2024—Ottawa— Immigration is critical to the growth of our economy and our communities. Improving processing times is key to providing an immigration system that works better for newcomers and Canadians alike, which is why we are taking action to reduce wait times and modernize our programs and services.

Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced several changes to Canada’s federal business programs to help reduce processing times and the application backlog. These changes take effect on April 30, 2024.

To improve the Start-up Visa Program, we will encourage designated venture capital firms, angel investor groups and business incubators to focus on the most promising proposals by

• capping the number of permanent residence applications we will accept for processing each year to those associated with no more than 10 start-ups per designated organization
• providing priority processing for entrepreneurs whose start-up is supported by Canadian capital or by a business incubator that is a member of Canada’s Tech Network , including applications in the inventory and new applications as they are submitted

In addition, Minister Miller announced a full pause on application intake for the Self­-Employed Persons Program to focus on processing applications from the inventory, starting April 30, 2024. The Self-Employed Persons Program provides a pathway to permanent residence for people with notable experience in art, culture, recreation or sports and who will contribute to Canada’s cultural vitality. Due to the high number of applications submitted for this program, processing times have increased to beyond four years. While the pause is in place, IRCC will continue finalizing applications from the backlog while assessing options for reforming the program and ensuring its integrity.

By restricting application intake through the end of 2026, and through planned increases in admissions for the federal business category as tabled in the 2024–2026 multi-year levels plan , IRCC will be able to reduce the backlog and bring down wait times while continuing to welcome the talented, innovative and entrepreneurial newcomers we need to continue to grow Canada’s economy. 

“Fast processing is critical to the success of entrepreneurs who come to Canada through our federal business programs. These necessary changes will set the Start­up Visa Program and Self-Employed Persons Program on the path to faster processing times while we look ahead to further reforms to make these programs more sustainable and effective over the long term.” – The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick facts

Immigrants account for about one third of business owners with paid staff in Canada. 

Canada ranked number one as the most attractive destination for start-up founders in a  2023 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (PDF 2.18 MB) . The rankings were based on a wide variety of factors, including access to capital, corporate tax rates, skills of the workforce, strength of its universities and quality of life, as well as immigration policies for entrepreneurs and their families.

To qualify to apply for the Start-up Visa Program, a foreign entrepreneur must have the committed support of a designated venture capital fund (investment of $200,000), angel investor group (investment of $75,000) or business incubator (acceptance into their incubation program).

Since the program began in 2013, about 900 entrepreneurs have become permanent residents through this category, representing the launch of more than 300 start-ups.

All applications in the venture capital and angel investor streams will get priority processing, as will any business incubator–supported applications that report an investment of at least $75,000.

Related products

• News release: Stabilizing Canada’s immigration targets to support sustainable growth
• News release: Minister Fraser announces Canada’s first Tech Talent Strategy at Collision 2023

Associated links

• Start-up Visa Program
• Self-Employed Persons Program

Bahoz Dara Aziz   Press Secretary Minister’s Office Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada [email protected]

Media Relations Communications Sector Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada 613-952-1650 [email protected]

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Welcome to Moscow

Home to the University of Idaho, Moscow (aka Fest City) is known for its lively celebrations and charming hometown vibe. Whether you’re exploring picturesque landscapes, rocking out at a music festival or indulging in mouthwatering local cuisine, this welcoming city offers an array of experiences for every style of adventurer. The only question is, where should you begin?

  Stay + Play

Looking for your ultimate basecamp? Take your pick of hotels in the heart of the action, cozy B&Bs and more.

Drink + Dine

Pop into one of our local eateries and sample everything from burgers to bouillabaisse. Or, sip your way through Moscow’s craft beer scene and find an ale to cure your ails.

Meet + Plan

If you’re searching for your next conference, business trip or company retreat destination, Moscow has it all. Boasting a variety of venues, tempting food and drink options and ample hotel accommodations, this town is sure to impress.

Upcoming Events

Immerse yourself in cinematic magic at a film festival or enjoy family-friendly fun at the annual Renaissance fair. Mark your calendars and stay up to date with the latest happenings in Fest City.

Best Western University Inn presents Spring Fling Dance with The Senders

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It’s time to shop ’til you drop, local style! Snag this exclusive gift card and experience the magic of Moscow’s businesses.

Let’s Get Social!

Take us along on your adventures by tagging #VisitMoscowID .

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