The fellows will spend two weeks with the pediatric palliative care team at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, which is known throughout the hospital as the Sunflower Kids Team, named in honor of the most resilient of all flowers. The team, comprised of physicians, nurse practitioners, and a nurse, uses a multidisciplinary approach to support patients and their families to develop a plan of care in line with their wishes and values. The team rounds daily on hospitalized patients to provide holistic symptom management, facilitate communication between the family and the health care providers, assist in decision making that reflects the values, goals and preferences of the family. The team coordinates care across setting, offering end-of-life care and bereavement support when appropriate. Fellows will round daily with the inpatient consult palliative care team and work closely with the pediatric pain consult team. They will also see patients in clinic and have the opportunity to do home visits for children receiving home hospice care.
The Sunflower Kids team also offers perinatal palliative care services for families who have learned that their baby has a life-altering or life-threatening condition.
The educational aspects of the rotation include a full-day of pediatric palliative care didactics (prior to the two-week rotation), journal club, condolence expression, reflective practice/storytelling exercise, and a podcast reflection.
Fellows also have the opportunity to see pediatric patients during their inpatient hospice rotation with Connecticut hospice, which has a home hospice arm and cares for children.