Oregon program
A public-health nurse at home (CaCoon)
A county public-health nurse can visit and help connect care, school and local services [CaCoon].
What it is
A county public-health nurse can visit and help connect care, school and local services [CaCoon].
A family can need someone to connect the pieces beyond the hospital. CaCoon's county nurses help with care coordination and local services. Availability depends on where you live, so this is a county conversation.
Eligibility rules
- The program serves children from birth through age 20 in participating counties.
- A historical 2017 diagnosis list includes malignancy. The county program confirms its current referral criteria for your child.
- Local agency policy determines how income and insurance affect access.
What you get
- Nurse home visits and help coordinating hospital, school and community services.
- Help finding local equipment and support.
What the help includes
- A county nurse helps connect the hospital plan with school and community resources.
If you decide to apply
- Ask the oncology social worker to contact your county's CaCoon nurse.
- Have your home county and your child's diagnosis information ready.
County CaCoon nurses: Clackamas 503-742-5358; Lane 541-682-8720; Marion 503-373-3781. · Official page ↗
After you ask
- The county confirms whether it accepts the referral and when a first visit can happen.
Good to know
CaCoon coordinates care; it does not replace treatment or home nursing shifts. Referrals go to the county office.
Other details
- CaCoon availability depends on the local public-health program. OHSU’s posted list names 25 counties but does not list Multnomah. Ask the social worker to check your county and, if the route is unclear, OCCYSHN at 503-418-1462. A missing county name is not proof that all local care-coordination help is unavailable.
- The local program can explain whether visits are available, whether there is any family charge or insurance billing, and what referral rules apply. CaCoon is care coordination, not a promise of ongoing shift nursing. The hospital social worker can confirm these details before you decide whether it would help.
Official sources
“Would a CaCoon nurse help us connect home, school and hospital care? Are there costs or limitations, and could you help with a county referral if it would be useful?”
Why I’m asking: I would like to understand what local coordination help is available for our family.
More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Say yes to a home visit and write down what you want help with before the nurse comes.
Your social worker
The oncology social worker makes the referral to the county.
The care team
Records and letters when the application asks for them.
- Who decides
- The county health department.
- Ask your social worker
- “Can you refer us to the CaCoon nurse in our county, and tell me who to call if our county is not on the list?”
How to apply
First step: Ask the oncology social worker to refer you to your county's CaCoon nurse.
- Ask the oncology social worker to refer you to your county's CaCoon nurse.
- If you live in Multnomah County, ask the social worker what the local equivalent is; Multnomah is not on the roster.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: Contact your county's CaCoon nurse. Washington 503-846-4872; Clackamas 503-742-5358; Lane 541-682-8720; Marion 503-373-3781. The state agency does not take referrals.
What to gather
- The county you live in
- Your child's diagnosis in writing
How long: No published timeline from referral to first visit.
What a yes looks like
A named county nurse and a first home visit arranged.
What a no looks like, and the next move
Usually that your county does not run the programme. Ask what the county health department offers instead.
Watch out
- Referrals go to your county, not to the state agency.
- Multnomah County is not on the published roster; ask the social worker what the local route is.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.
What it is worth
Public-health nurse home visiting and care coordination, birth through age 20, in 25 counties.
- $25 — Counties where CaCoon runs
- $20 — Upper age
Covers: Nurse home visits · Care coordination between hospital, school and community services · Help finding local equipment and services
Legal protection: Families may be seen without regard to income or insurance, based on local agency policy
What it costs the family: No statewide income limit or cost share was published; the manual says local agency policy decides.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Age
- birth through 20
- Diagnosis
- CaCoon provides nurse-led coordination. The county confirms current referral criteria, charges and income or insurance conditions; the 2017 diagnosis list does not establish current eligibility by itself.
- Income
- no statewide dollar limit published; local agency policy governs
- Residency
- one of the 25 listed counties
Expect friction on: CaCoon runs in 25 counties; Multnomah County is not on the published roster · Referrals go to the county, not to the state agency
The trap: Do not call the state agency; it says plainly that it does not take referrals or give services directly. Call your county's contact.
Where I read this
- OHSU: CaCoon Care Coordination — Oregon Health & Science University, read September 10, 2026
- OHSU: About OCCYSHN — Oregon Health & Science University, read September 10, 2026
- OHA Babies First! and CaCoon Manual: Program Overview — Oregon Health Authority, read September 10, 2026
- CMS-approved Oregon SPA OR-16-0012: Targeted case management — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, read September 10, 2026