Response to Covid-19
In early 2020, when NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital took steps to protect the health and safety of patients, families, and caregivers in response to COVID-19, volunteers and other nonessential staff were not allowed on site. Still, the Family Advisory Council had an important role to play. From the onset of the pandemic, hospital leadership included our leadership in daily departmental and COVID updates. Our leadership also collaborated with the family advisory councils of other NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals to share information.
Unable to interact on-site and in person, we explored other ways to support patients, families, and caregivers as well as hospital staff who were working long shifts under challenging circumstances.
Specifically, we:
- Donated 100+ Seamless gift cards to residents, fellows, and Child Life Specialists so they could order a meal and would not have to cook when they went home
- Stocked Wellness Carts with snacks and drinks for hospital staff
- Established monthly virtual support sessions for families of pediatric cancer patients
- Changed the format of our family support lunches, teas, and dinners to biweekly virtual support meetings for pediatric families
- Changed the format of the Family Advisory Council monthly meetings from in-person to virtual
- Modified Family Faculty sessions for nurses and fellows to a virtual setting
- Participated in regular Advisory Committee meetings virtually
- Continued to celebrate holidays and other notable days with patients and families in a safe way
- Participated in bereavement support group meetings in a virtual setting
- Partnered with hospital staff in the planning of a virtual memorial service and distributed Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month pins