South Street

Program Purpose and Goals

This program allows family caregivers to:

• Become employed by licensed home health agencies
• Provide delegated home health aide services
• Support medically fragile children receiving Medicaid PDN services

This program is intended to:

• Expand access to care for medically fragile children
• Help stabilize families facing nursing shortages
• Reduce unnecessary hospitalizations
• Reduce institutionalization
• Improve continuity of care in the home
• Supplement authorized PDN services

Child Eligibility Requirements

To participate the child must:

• Be under age 21
• Be medically fragile
• Be eligible for Medicaid
• Be receiving Medicaid PDN services

This program specifically targets high-acuity pediatric Medicaid recipients, children requiring substantial home-based nursing support.

Family Caregiver Eligibility

Eligible caregivers include:

• Family members
• Legal guardians
• Caretaker relatives

Participants must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Read and write at a basic level
• Pass a Level 2 background screening
• Complete required training and competency validations
• Be employed by a licensed participating home health agency

Training Requirements Overview

AHCA has finalized the Medicaid Family Home Health Aide for Medically Fragile Children program minimum training requirements. They were filed on 5/11/26 and made effective on 5/31/26. They were originally created through HB 391 in 2023, expanded and strengthened through SB 1156 in 2025, and then implemented through Rule 59A-8.0099, F.A.C.

The finalized rule requires:

• 40 hours of basic home health aide training
• 20 hours of pediatric medically fragile skills training
• 16 hours of clinical competency validation

Emphasis on:

• Pediatric safety
• Competency validation
• RN oversight
• Standardized statewide requirements

Caregivers must also complete a one-time HIV education within 30 days of employment and CPR certification.

The 20 Hours of Pediatric Medically Fragile Skills Training

Training must be:

• In person
• Tailored to the child’s individualized plan of care
• Conducted by qualified pediatric RN

The 16 Hours of Clinical Competency Validation

Requirements:

• Hands on validation
• Conducted with an actual patient
• Direct supervision by qualified pediatric RN
• In-person demonstration of all required skills

Caregivers must achieve 100% proficiency before independently providing services. Ongoing competency validation must occur within 90 days of training completion and renewed annually.

Any change in physician orders may require new delegation, additional competency review, and updated validation documentation.

Medication Administration Requirements

In addition to the standard 6 hours of medication administration training is required under Rule 59A-8.0097, caregivers must complete 4 additional hours of specialized pediatric medication administration training. 

Training includes administration involving:

• Enteral feeding tubes
• Crushed medications
• Rectal medications
• Subcutaneous injections
• Intradermal injections
• Intramuscular injections
• Inhaled medications administered through a tracheostomy

Medicaid Eligibility Development

CMS has approved State Plan Amendment FL-25-0011 effective 2/9/26. This allows Florida to disregard wages earned through the AMFC program, preventing caregiver income from negatively impacting Medicaid eligibility and protecting waiver participation eligibility. Despite federal approval, the income exclusion is not expected to become operational until the fall of 2026. DCF must still complete eligibility system updates, policy changes, and operational implementation. Providers and families should continue seeking individualized Medicaid eligibility guidance before relying on the income disregard. We are keeping an eye on this development and will inform you as soon as we receive any further updates.

At Atlantic Care Services, the scheduling team plays a critical role in ensuring every patient receives consistent, high-quality care. Behind the scenes, this team works daily to match families with skilled nurses, maintain continuity of care, and keep schedules running smoothly.

We spoke with Danica Simon, Corporate Scheduling Manager, who has been with Atlantic Care Services since 2021, to get a closer look at how scheduling works and why it matters so much to the families we serve.

A Commitment to the Right Match

Q: When you come to work, what daily mission do you instill in your team?

Our mission is to make sure that every patient is matched with the right caregiver. Continuity of care is essential. When we get that right, everything improves. The patient is more comfortable, the family feels supported, and the caregiver can do their job effectively.

The Most Rewarding Part of the Job

Q: What is your favorite part of the job?

The best moment is calling a parent and telling them their child is fully staffed. It takes a lot of coordination behind the scenes—phone calls, organizing details, and working as a team—but when it all comes together, it is worth it.

Families are incredibly grateful, and for a moment, they see how much effort went into making that happen. That reaction makes everything we do meaningful.

What Families Should Know About Scheduling

Q: What is something you want everyone to know?

Scheduling is a team effort, and it is a big responsibility. While the caregiver is the one providing care in the home, a large part of making that care possible happens behind the scenes.

We work to find the right nurse, the right schedule, and the right environment for each patient. It is not always easy, but when everything aligns, it creates a better experience for everyone involved.

Building the Scheduling Department

Q: How long have you been with Atlantic Care Services, and what drew you to the role?

I have been with Atlantic Care Services for almost five years. Before this, I worked as a scheduling coordinator outside of healthcare, which gave me experience managing family schedules.

I joined because of the company’s mission and the opportunity to help build something meaningful. At the time, scheduling was not a fully developed department, and I wanted to help shape and grow it into what it is today. Being part of that process has been incredibly rewarding.

Why Scheduling Is So Important

Q: How important is the scheduling team to overall patient care?

Scheduling is a key part of the organization. Every department plays a role, but scheduling is what connects caregivers with patients.

When we do our job well, it allows both the patient and the caregiver to succeed. That connection is what makes everything else possible.

How Scheduling Works Across Florida

Q: Is there anything else families should know about scheduling?

Trinity Hamilton, Scheduling Supervisor, also shared insight into how scheduling works across different regions.

Each office throughout Florida has its own dedicated scheduling team. If a family moves to a new area, their schedule does not automatically transfer, since each region operates independently.

Schedulers are typically responsible for 25 to 30 patients at a time, coordinating care by working closely with recruiters and case managers. Keeping scheduling within each region helps maintain clear communication and supports better continuity of care for families.

By: Jessica Nelson, Instructional Designer

At Atlantic Care Services, we work on building a community, not just a company. Culture means everything our organization. If you look on our website or social media accounts you will see this “invisible glue” shine through the activities, initiatives and appreciation that is prioritized in our organization. 

You can see what drives our initiative and see our heart in every task we complete to help provide care for the patients and love for the nurses, but what exactly do we do as an organization?  How do we help? How do we work together?  

Let’s take some time to explain what each department does and how we can help you with all of your needs. 

Intake Team – If you are interested in using Atlantic Care Services for yourself or your family member, your first connection will be with our intake team.  Their job is to make the referral process move smoothly by coordinating with case managers and physicians, collecting paperwork, and getting services started.

Scheduling Team – These individuals are family’s main point of contact when working with us. They are the heartbeat of the company and work tirelessly to ensure our patients schedules are staffed with high quality nurses.

Recruiting Team – These ladies and gentlemen are the first face or voice that a nurse talks to when being hired by our organization.  They collect documentation, learn the nurses schedule and skills, introduce them to our onboarding team, and make them feel welcomed into our company. 

Clinical Team – This group is our wellness warriors. You will find them visiting a patient to complete an assessment, meeting with nurses to complete a skills competency, or diving into our EMR to ensure documentation accuracy. 

Human Resources Team – They are our advocates that always want the best for our community whether it is comprehensive and cost-effective health insurance or education and training to ensure we stay safe and up to date on the latest knowledge. 

Onboarding Team – The onboarding team reviews hiring and training documentation, and ensures caregivers stay up to date on their certificates and skills. They help our nurses get started with ACS and then continue working with them over time to renew training and documentation as needed. 

Compliance and EVV (Electronic Verification Visit) Team – Home health organizations are mandated by rules, laws, and regulations to make sure patients and caregivers are safe.  The individuals on this team ensure we follow these directives. They possess a gift of communication, relationship building, and education to make sure we are all informed and safely practicing. 

Billing and Payroll Team – Our billing and payroll teams work diligently to ensure that our caregivers are paid correctly and promptly, and build partnerships with insurance providers so that we can service as many patients as possible. They prioritize efficiency, structure, and accuracy to ensure integrity and respect. 

Project Management Team – Have you ever attended an Atlantic Care Services Event or received a gift in the mail?  Chances are a person from the project team has moved heaven and Earth to complete this task for your enjoyment. This group brings the fun, education and morale to all that work with or for ACS.

Technical Support Team – This team is taking us into the modern age with AI capabilities and programs that help organize and automate our tasks. They educate us on all the latest and greatest technology to stay ahead of the game. They keep our internal team equipped with the equipment we need to work efficiently for you!

Business Operations Team – At ACS it is very important to us that we pay attention to the details.  Building rentals, contracts, licenses, electric companies, vehicles, parking spaces, and telephone services are just a few details that are a part of our everyday tasks.  This team ensures that our business operates smoothly and without major issues. 

Account Managers – These individuals are found sprinkled throughout the State of Florida and Texas. They help manage our regional offices with the support from our corporate team in Orlando. They do a little bit of everything to ensure our patients and caregivers have the best home health experience. They schedule, recruit, hire, staff and organize events to help bring our company mission and vision to life.

By: Jessica Nelson, Instructional Designer

A new year to focus on staying grounded as we grow.

Since our opening in 2018, our mission has always been to create a compassionate environment for everyone we interact with, while aiming to build strong relationships with patients, caregivers, and partners. We strive to make everyone feel like part of our family, by offering respect, empathy, and high-quality care.

Now 8 years later, we want to continue this same mission and vision by focusing on growth but also continuing to prioritize connections to the same patients, caregivers, and partners. 

Rooted and Rising reflects where we are as an organization. We’re growing, adapting, and scaling, but we’re doing it intentionally, without losing our heart or our culture. Change is not something to fear, and our best growth comes from staying grounded in who we are.

How do we prioritize this significant endeavor? 

Over the course of the year, our team will focus on the following initiatives to continue the mom-and-pop feel of the organization within an ever growing and changing company. 

• Empowerment
  • Our Internal team members are greatly encourage to connect with our caregivers, families, and patients. We have multiple programs that empower our team to show appreciation, connect, and create a strong community.  
    • Patient Visit Program – Visiting patients to gain feedback on how we can improve our organization and build strong relationships.
    • Caregiver Champions – Using funds to purchase gifts and provide recognition to our caregivers.
    • Founder Open Table – As we grow, the best ideas shouldn’t always come from the top. Our newest initiative gives Internal Team members dedicated time to ask questions, brainstorm, and pitch ideas. 

• Embracing Change – Recently, our internal team has been encouraged to use Artificial Intelligence within our everyday tasks to make work simpler and spend less time conducting mondain tasks.  A research article written by Bajwa et al. (2021), stated that “advances in AI have the potential to transform many aspects of healthcare, enabling a future that is more personalized, precise, predictive and portable.” Using Chat GPT, Slack, and other artificial intelligence platforms allows us to stream-line productivity and communication. Change is often unfamiliar or uncomfortable, but we at Atlantic Care Services want to use this new technology to improve our everyday tasks, not make things more difficult.  

• Connecting – This simple word can be the backbone of a thriving company and at Atlantic Care Services, we prioritize connecting people by providing support and fostering belonging. As we grow, these tasks become increasingly challenging because research shows that communication suffers when physical distance increases. To intercede with this challenge before it begins, we use programs such as:
  • Compass Connections – Compass Connections is a recently established support group that allows families to verbalize their emotions and feel connected to a community. During these monthly sessions, the participants can share resources and find comfort in knowing that they are not alone on this journey. 
  • Wellness Warriors – Wellness Warriors is a mental health initiative dedicated to fostering a supportive, inclusive environment where well-being is prioritized and openly discussed. The initiative is designed to provide opportunities to engage in workshops, discussions, and activities designed to reduce stress, build resilience, and encourage healthy coping strategies.
  • Birthday and Anniversary Celebration – Everyone wants to feel special.  We only have a birthday and a work anniversary once a year. We ensure that everyone feels special on those days.
  • Professional Development – Our company is thriving, and to ensure we continue doing so we created initiatives that educate through monthly education sessions, annual conferences, and curated curriculum. 

A new year is a time for reflection and growth.  We are thrilled to offer a working environment where our caregivers and family members feel appreciated and hopeful for the future, helping guide you home.

References

Bajwa, J., Munir, U., Nori, A., & Williams, B. (2021). Artificial intelligence in healthcare: transforming the practice of medicine. Future healthcare journal, 8(2), e188–e194. https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2021-0095