Why a conference for pediatric palliative care? 

Hospice care for the aged is available across the United States and yet hospice care for children, a specialized but always a more tragic need, is limited or non-existent in many areas. More than 50,000 children a year in the US alone become terminally ill, whether from disease or congenital condition.

Children’s hospice care differs from geriatric with greater emphasis on:

• Quality of life

• Family centered treatment

• Home care where possible

• Aggressive palliation 

• Concurrent curative treatment

• Specialized skills

Economic constraints limit widespread access to, and even familiarity with such specialized care, particularly in less populated areas of the state. So it is essential to share knowledge and resources statewide as much as possible and to identify common problems in order to overcome them.

Why a conference for bereavement support?

The relationship between pediatric hospice and family bereavement is a sad but obvious reality.  Hospices and hospitals providing care for children in fragile health need to be in touch with the resources for family bereavement support. It is knowledge that also needs to be shared widely across the state among those involved. 

Who are the conferences for?
Primarily conferences are for caregivers, case workers, those involved in the administration or financing of pediatric palliative care, including state and insurance industry officials, and involved parents. Students and others interested will be accommodated as space permits.

The 2015 Conference will be at the Marriott Hotel in East Lansing on Saturday, November 21.

Breakfast and registration will be from 8:00 AM and the conference opens at 9:00 AM. A buffet lunch will be served at 12:30 PM.

The theme this year is "Pediatric Palliative Care -- Here and Elsewhere."

Representatives from other states will talk of the benefit of statewide pediatric palliative care coalitions. Ken Pituch MD, of University of Michigan and CS. Mott Children's Hospital will talk about pediatric palliative care outside the US. As well as the plenary sessions, there will be breakout sessions for specific interests.

The full Agenda will be published on this page when finalized but as before the intention is for open discussion among all attendees.

Bereavement support across the state will be again be specific topic. 

Registration fs $75 for the full day to include breakfast and lunch.  Reduced room rates at the hotel are available for conference attendees for both Friday and Saturday nights if needed.

We are offering Early Bird registration at a reduced rate ($65) for those wishing to guarantee a place. Early Bird registrations may be canceled before August 31 or within one week of the publication of the final agenda.

2014 Conference
In order to share experience and knowledge across the state of Michigan regarding pediatric hospice and bereavement support, the Foundation organized a statewide conference in November of doctors, hospice workers, nurses and other caregivers as well as representatives from state government and the insurance industry.

The conference, co-sponsored by Hospice of Michigan and MSU College of Human Medicine and hosted by the Peoples Church of East Lansing, was a first of its kind. The day was split into two sessions, the morning focusing on pediatric hospice and the afternoon session on bereavement support. More than 90 attendees came from around the state. Speakers included James Fahner, MD, of the De Vos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids and Dr. Ken Pituch of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, and Jerome Wakefield, PhD, of New York University.

Key findings were that hospice and bereavement are closely interrelated and should be considered as a single topic for the future, and that there is a need for greater understanding and continuing dissemination of information on pediatric hospice.  It is intended now to be a regular annual event with the next conference being planned for early fall in 2015.

For more information on the 2014 Conference, click to download 2014 report: