The Arizona Department of Health Services today awarded a contract for the provision of Children’s Rehabilitative Services (CRS) throughout the state to Arizona Physicians IPA, Inc. The first contract term will be from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2010, with the option to renew for up to 24 additional months, for a possible total of four years.

Through September 30, 2008, members will continue to use the same CRS health care providers. Beginning October 1, 2008, CRS members will still be able to receive services in some of the same multispecialty interdisciplinary clinics they are currently using; however, more services will be available in community-based settings such as pharmacies, laboratories and physicians’ offices.

Arizona Physician’s IPA has already contracted with the current CRS multispecialty interdisciplinary clinics in Flagstaff and Yuma, and has offered contracts to the current CRS clinics in Phoenix and Tucson.

CRS provides family-centered medical treatment, rehabilitation and related support services for children under age 21 with qualifying chronic and disabling conditions, and served over 23,000 children last year in four regional multispecialty interdisciplinary clinics throughout the state.

"APIPA offers an extensive network of physician specialists that should provide families with more choice of providers," said Joan Agostinelli, CRS Administrator. "We are looking forward to working with APIPA and our stakeholders to provide well-coordinated family-centered care to CRS members."

APIPA has served the needs of Arizona’s medically underserved populations for more than 25 years through the AHCCCS program, including the acute care needs of CRS children. In addition to including most of the hospitals in Arizona, the network will also include six out-of-state children’s specialty hospitals including the Children’s Hospital Boston and Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University.

More information will become available before October 1, 2008 to inform members of clinic availability and how to continue to access care.

For more information, members may call the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs with questions at 602-542-1860 or email OCSHCN@azdhs.gov.