PCLC Peds training and mentoring is tailored to pediatric palliative care programs at every stage of development. Appropriate for teams from children′s hospitals or pediatric programs within a hospital, PCLC Peds training and mentoring addresses all operational aspects of planning, starting and growing a program.

Training and yearlong mentoring is provided by physician and nurse leaders in the field, who are experts in applying the most effective pediatric palliative care program models. The two-day, small group, hands-on format provides you with dedicated time together as a team, away from distractions.

The PCLC Peds curriculum addresses the issues unique to pediatric palliative care program development and growth:

• Systems Assessment & Mission Alignment
• Clinical Models & Staffing
• Financial Case & Sustainability
• Continuity of Care
• Measurement
• Internal Marketing
• Palliative Care Education
• Program Implementation

Your training session may not cover all topics. Some content may be addressed in pre-training "homework" exercises, and some may be addressed during the yearlong post-training mentoring period. If you are scheduled for PCLC training and have certain topics you'd like to focus on during the session, please feel free to discuss those needs with your PCLC contact person.

Systems Assessment & Mission Alignment

• Identify pediatric palliative care program stakeholders (patients, families, hospital staff, administration, community groups) and their priorities for the program
• Develop metrics to identify current unmet patient-care and provider needs at site visitor's institution: clinical evaluation, patient volume and staffing
• Develop strategies to engage key groups of stakeholders for impact on program goals

Clinical Models & Staffing

• Understand the pros and cons of different palliative care clinical programs: consultation service, inpatient unit, outpatient clinic, etc.
• Learn staffing patterns for a consultation service and continuity of care activities
• Develop a plan for the initial palliative care clinical service program
• Develop an organizational chart and reporting structure for palliative care services

Financial Case & Sustainability

• Identify the building blocks and key talking points for "making the case" for palliative care to key financial stakeholders
• Identify tools to assist in the development of the financial case and ongoing measurement of financial impact
• Learn opportunities to maximize clinical billing revenue and philanthropy

Continuity of Care

• Learn the important place of care continuity beyond the hospital in pediatric palliative care program development
• Identify community agencies that can provide key services in partnership with a palliative care program
• Develop a strategy for building and sustaining relationships with community partners that recognize competitive or collaborative forces
• Identify organizational, legal and operational structure options for partnerships
• Review options for ensuring continuity of communication of medical information across different care sites

Measurement

• Understand key data elements to capture and track in a hospital palliative care program database
• Identify resources available to locate and track:
  • Operational data
  • Clinical data
  • Financial data
  • Customer data
• Develop a measurement plan for the first year of clinical operation
• Understand methods to effectively demonstrate data to key stakeholders

Internal Marketing

• Identify tension points to aid in marketing palliative care services to clinicians
• Develop an internal marketing strategy that includes outreach to physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains and others
• Identify strategies for communicating with patients and families about the program

Palliative Care Education

• Learn key principles of providing palliative care health professional education
• Identify pros and cons of four different education training formats for palliative care content (e.g. lectures, small group, self-study, role play)
• Review existing pediatric educational materials available for staff, patient and family education
• Develop a one-year educational Action Plan

Program Implementation

• Identify common barriers to program implementation
• Identify resources to help overcome barriers to program implementation
• Develop a timeline for palliative care program implementation, identify one month, three month, six month goals and Action Steps
• Develop a process to review performance measures and develop action plans to improve program effectiveness