Addressing the Well-Being of Your Child and Your Family
The Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital assesses and attends to the emotional, social, spiritual, and physical comfort of your child and your family — from the moment of diagnosis and throughout the entire journey with a serious or chronic illness. We work with other members of your child's healthcare team to support treatment, enhance comfort, maintain quality of life, and foster hope and family connection. We work with you, your child, and your family to soothe and prevent symptoms related to your child's illness or its treatment.
Examples of our services include:
- Relief of physical symptoms (such as pain, nausea, fatigue, constipation, itching, sleep problems, and any other physical problems impairing your child's quality of life)
- Facilitation of communication within your family and with your child's treatment team
- Help with difficult decision making and advanced care planning
- Psychosocial support (an extra layer of support for children, families, and caregivers)
- Nutritional guidance
- Spiritual support
About Our Program
At NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital, our pediatric palliative care teams assess and attend to the emotional, social, spiritual, and physical comfort of children with a serious or chronic illness and their families — as early as the moment of diagnosis throughout the entire medical journey. We work closely with you and your child to prevent and alleviate symptoms related to your child's illness or treatment. Working with other members of your child's healthcare team, we help navigate treatment, enhance comfort, maintain quality of life, and foster hope and family connection.
Our pediatric palliative care teams consist of individuals with specialized training in pediatric palliative care, including physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and chaplains. We work alongside your child's treatment team to improve your child's quality of life. We work closely with child life specialists, pastoral care, art, and music therapists, and others to tend to the physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological elements that make your child and family unique.
Our services begin with a consultation to assess the goals and preferences of your child and your family. We create a customized plan of care to meet you and your child's needs with this information. We partner with other hospital-based services and resources in your community and other facilities to help provide seamless care for your child and your family.
We understand how challenging this time is for you, your child, and your family, and we are here to provide support and guidance every moment along the way.
Our Services
Depending on your child's and your family's needs, our services may include:
- Relief of physical symptoms (such as pain, nausea, fatigue, delirium, difficulty breathing, itching, sleep disturbance, and/or any other physical problems impairing your child's quality of life)
- Facilitation of communication within your family and with your child's treatment team
- Help with difficult decision making and advanced care planning
- End-of-life planning and care, including legacy building activities
- Referral for concurrent hospice care (maintaining access to curative care), including home hospice care
- Psychosocial support (an extra layer of support for children, families, and caregivers)
- Spiritual support
Consultation with the Pediatric Palliative Care Team
A consultation with our pediatric palliative care team typically begins with a conversation with you to assess the goals and preferences of your child and your family. We may ask questions such as, "What is a good day or a hard day? What makes your child laugh? What are your goals for your child? What are you hoping for?" We may also ask your child about their hopes and concerns.
With answers to such questions in hand, our team puts together a customized plan of care to meet your family's needs.
Preparing for the Consultation
Preparing for your meeting with our pediatric palliative care team can help you better understand your goals, hopes, and concerns regarding your child's illness and treatment. Children are often concerned about how their illness will affect their ability to go to school, see their friends, play sports, or play outside. For parents, they may want the same things for their children— a life free of discomfort and one that enables them to participate in family activities.
While your child is receiving treatment, you may be presented with several options about care, including numerous types of therapies — each with its risks and benefits. It is important to think about how each therapy will affect your child's quality of life and for how long. These are issues you can discuss with our team.
Here are some questions you can think about and discuss with your child and your family before your consultation:
- When it comes to my child's quality of life, what is most important?
- How will treatment affect my child's quality of life?
- How will treatment affect my child's prognosis, and what might happen without that treatment?
- What will it be like for my child and my family to go through this therapy?
- Could this treatment make my child feel better or worse, and for how long?
- Are there any other available treatment approaches that are as effective but have different effects on quality of life?
- Should we pursue disease-directed treatment at all, or might an exclusive comfort care plan make more sense?
Memory-Making Activities
No matter how brief, each child's life is precious and needs to be cherished. We understand how challenging this time is for families, and we are there to provide support and guidance during this journey. To comfort patients and family members during this difficult time, we offer memory-making activities such as handprints and footprints, photographs, and personalized keepsakes.
Our Approach to Care
Your Child's Comfort is at the Center of Our Care
At NewYork-Presbyterian, the comfort of your child is at the center of our care. We understand that families facing their children's diagnoses are shocked, frightened, and confused; they need and deserve support.
Holistic and Comprehensive Care
We recognize that every child with a serious or chronic illness has a unique set of symptoms, circumstances, and needs. We take a holistic approach to care that considers the entire patient, including their physical, emotional, and social composition. We partner with patients and families in shared decision-making, empowering them with knowledge and support to identify the most appropriate treatment options to achieve goal-concordant care for every child.
Family-Centered Care
Our goal is to provide family-centered care to meet the unique needs of every patient. We create a safe space for the family to bond, cope, and feel supported while keeping the child comfortable.
Parents As Team Members
As a parent, there is important information that only you can provide about your child. You can also help other team members shape your child's personalized treatment plan based on your child's physical, emotional, and practical needs. Your input is critical for making final decisions regarding your child's care, and our multidisciplinary team is here to work alongside you and your family to achieve the most appropriate care for your child.
Why Choose Us
Nationally Ranked Children's Hospitals
Both NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital are among the nation's leading centers for diagnosing and treating childhood diseases. They are major referral centers for complex and rare disorders in infants, children, and adolescents.
Access to World-Class Pediatric Specialists
NewYork-Presbyterian has nationally renowned specialists in every field of pediatrics so that your child will have access to all of the various pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists they may need. This will ensure that of your child's medical needs can be addressed under one roof.
Contact us
Call for an Appointment
NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Pediatric Palliative Care
NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital
Pediatric Palliative Care