Services

Our multidisciplinary team’s mission is to offer a comprehensive family-centered approach to assessment and care for children and families affected by serious illness, beginning in the prenatal stage of development into early adulthood. Our focus is on enhancing quality of life for our patients as well as their loved ones.

Services Provided by Pediatric Palliative Care

Support with medical decision-making by working together to identify each family’s unique goals of care
Expertise in pain and symptom management to improve quality of life
Support with communication among family members and medical teams
Emotional support and medical coping
Additional education about medical information and care
Coordination of care within the hospital and community
Advanced care planning
End-of-life care
Comfort care

How Pediatric Palliative Care differs from Adult Palliative Care

Many childhood medical conditions are rare and the length of each illness varies. Some children live for a short time, while most continue to receive pediatric palliative care for several months to years. In most cases, children receiving pediatric palliative care continue to receive care from their pediatrician and other medical providers.

Children may still receive cure-directed treatments while receiving pediatric palliative care. For children, medical decisions are typically made by or with family members. As children continue through development despite their illness, they can continue to receive multidisciplinary services to meet their developmental needs.

Candidates for Pediatric Palliative Care

Infants and children with complex medical needs
Women and their families in need of additional support when a baby receives a diagnosis of a serious congenital condition during pregnancy, such as Trisomy 13 or Trisomy 18
Children who require frequent hospitalizations and high levels of care
Children impacted by medical trauma
Families needing support in preparing for end-of-life, including advanced care planning