麻豆app

A graduate of a neurodevelopmental leadership education program at UNH鈥檚 (IOD) is blazing a new trail in primary care for New Hampshire families, placing individuals and their loved ones at the center of an innovative approach designed to ease the transition from pediatric to adult care for patients with chronic illness or disability.

When a young person with a lifelong disability turns 18, the shift from pediatric to adult health care can be daunting. Primary care physicians can lack the training or confidence to treat adults with childhood-onset conditions, leaving families to navigate a fragmented system on their own.

In New Hampshire, where the physician shortage is particularly acute, these gaps can become craters.

Dr. Lisa Plotnik, a physician at Dartmouth Health in Manchester and a graduate of the IOD鈥檚 program, is changing that narrative. Through her innovative wraparound primary care model, she and her team provide specialized care that puts the individual with chronic illness or disability and family at the center 鈥� ensuring that the entire family鈥檚 perspective and needs are taken into consideration.

鈥淚 was seeing how many families couldn鈥檛 get their own health care,鈥� Plotnik explains. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 have time; they didn鈥檛 have the bandwidth. And so we were taking care of emergencies that happened around our patient because their family couldn鈥檛 get the care they needed.鈥�

That realization became the foundation for what is now a thriving department that serves children and adults with complex medical and behavioral needs in New Hampshire. By integrating family members and caregivers into the care plan, whether in-person or through telehealth, Plotnik鈥檚 clinic helps prevent crises before they occur. The result is a model that not only supports better health outcomes but also aims to preserve stability and dignity.

Her approach challenges the traditional boundaries of adult primary care for people with disabilities. While most adult practices are patient-focused, Plotnik鈥檚 clinic retains the family-centered ethos of pediatrics with the flexibility of utilizing modern technology. Caregivers and parents are active participants in decision-making, and each patient鈥檚 unique communication, environmental, and sensory needs are respected. For some, that means longer appointments or modified exams; for others, it means being seen virtually from home.

鈥淵ou can get a lot of information from a screen, and we do a lot of behavioral health work, which doesn't require a physical exam,鈥� Plotnik says. 听鈥淛ust touching base verbally with the patient or the caregiver can be vital. We try to really support people in whichever environment works best for them.鈥�

This hybrid model has proven especially valuable in rural parts of the state, where transportation can be a barrier to consistent care. Using telehealth, her team can collaborate with families, specialists, and community providers across New Hampshire 鈥� bridging distance and connecting expertise.

The spark for this work was lit during Plotnik鈥檚 time in the NH-ME LEND program. It was there that she gained not only the confidence to design a new kind of practice but also the network to sustain it.

鈥淟END made me dream and design this type of practice,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t helped me see the need, verbalize it, and bring it to my administration.鈥�

Today, she continues to mentor NH-ME LEND trainees, ensuring the next generation of providers learns from this inclusive model of care. She has also worked with the IOD to create a free virtual continuing medical education program called .

Her practice has become a touchstone for families seeking dignity and continuity and an inspiration for providers across New England looking to reimagine what comprehensive care can be.

For Plotnik, the vision is simple yet profound: a health care system that values prevention, compassion, and belonging as much as efficiency. 鈥淥ur health care system and social services system really looks at the cost of care and services now rather than looking at the investment and return on investment if we provided strong preventive care,鈥� she says.