Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care (PCHC) was established in 1989 and is funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through the City of Philadelphia’s Offices of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services. PCHC is a not-for-profit, supported project of PMHCC. PCHC provides the following services:

• Technical Assistance
  
• Health Care Training
  
• Systems Review and Development
  
• Resource Development
  
• Policy Development
  
• Individual Community Health Review
  
• Health Risk Management Consultation
  
• Health Coverage/Managed Care Support
  
• Health Care Community Outreach

Supports provided by PCHC are focused on enhancing access to community-based health services. Assistance is provided to individuals with disabilities, families, caregivers, service providers, health and dental care professionals and policymakers.

PCHC does not provide direct health care services, but strives to increase the ability of existing community-based health services to meet the sometimes unique health care needs of individuals with mental retardation. PCHC strongly believes that a comprehensive and holistic approach is the best way of meeting an individual’s health care needs. Improvement in an individual’s health status comes through the identification of needs and coordination of services by all involved in an individual’s life: primary care physician, the individual, direct care workers and any interdisciplinary support team members. Innovative programs have been designed and implemented with the objective of achieving improved health care for people with developmental disabilities, using existing community-based resources.

Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care serves as the Health Care Quality Unit for Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. Health Care Quality Units have been created throughout the Commonwealth and serve in the role of facilitating health care supports and services to people with mental retardation. The HCQU acts as a liaison between health care professionals, provider agencies, individuals, policymakers and caregivers around health issues, addressing health issues as they arise, helping to ensure effective communication, implementing meaningful action and systems change for all stakeholders. PCHC is a contributing partner in a statewide support system that strives to provide each individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the supports and services that meet his or her individual health care needs and desires. Working together with each county in the Southeast Region, as well as the Regional Office of Developmental Programs Coordinator, PCHC develops services and supports tailored to each county’s specific health care support needs.

Please note that PCHC is primarily a county and regionally driven support service. Each year the county and region dictate new goals, as does the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare, Office of Developmental Programs. Services provided to achieve these goals include:

• Design of systems and methods of tracking identified health issues, such as medication administration, behavioral supports, etc.
  
• Development of data-based survey instruments, data review and tracking
  
• Design of publications, presentations and trainings
  
• Meeting facilitation and coordination
  
• Facilitation of communication exchange regarding health care, among academic, professional and direct service organizations supporting individuals with mental retardation, both locally and nationally
• Risk Management