Making life a little easier for children and families

After seeing parents struggle to coordinate medical appointments for their children, Dr. Sara Long-Gagné knew she needed to do something. It seemed unfair that they should have to face so much bureaucracy. Along with members of her pediatrics team, she set up CONCI, an initiative that helps with healthcare coordination and navigation for cases of intermediate complexity. The idea was to make the system work for patients, and not vice-versa.

Even though the hospital administration thought the project was a great idea, things got off to a rocky start as funding was sorely lacking for several years. But Dr. Long-Gagné and her colleagues refused to give up. Thanks to the perseverance of these dedicated patient advocates, the project finally took off in 2020 as funds finally became available during the pandemic.

The CONCI team synchronizes pediatric patients' appointments with various specialists on a daily basis. They check to see which medical tests need to be done and organize any related services that might be required, such as the use of an interpreter. Their innovative approach goes a long way in simplifying the treatment journey for patients. Families are relieved of a considerable administrative burden, which improves their access to care and quality of life. Children and their parents get better service, in addition to more effective and personalized medical attention.

The multidisciplinary team behind CONCI

CONCI is the result of a team effort. The people behind the initiative include 12 pediatricians, a nurse practitioner, four nurse clinicians, four healthcare coordinators, an administrative officer and several other specialist physicians working in the areas of nephrology, neurology, surgery and more.