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Lighting the Way in Pennsylvania.
Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (PPCC), a PA-based statewide coalition, is a volunteer group of professionals, parents, and community members who provide information and resources for families with children with life-limiting conditions.
Monthly Webinar
December 10, 2020 – Utilizing Pediatric Concurrent Care: Strategies from the Interdisciplinary Team with David Sine/Valley Children’s Hospital, Sean Hunt/Valley Children’s Hospital, Mary Tiso/Gilchrist Hospice, Melissa Hunt/Optum. Section 2302 of the Affordable Care Act (deemed Concurrent Care for Children) allows children to receive curative-focused and life-prolonging therapies in conjunction with hospice care. But there are not clear guidelines on how hospices should implement this provision. This session will dive into some practical tips for using pediatric concurrent care by looking at case studies and sharing clinician experience from providers in the field.
November is Children’s Grief Awareness Month
November is Children’s Grief Awareness Month, and November 19th is Children’s Grief Awareness Day. Check out the links below for information, resources and activities to help children as they grieve the loss of a special person(s) in their lives.
- Children’s Grief Awareness Day – Highmark Caring Place
- Children’s Grief Awareness – NAGC
- NAGC Grief Talk
PPCC Firefly Chat 
PPCC is pleased to announce a new series of interactive virtual discussions that will explore issues facing the pediatric palliative care community in PA and beyond. The first chat, A Day in the Life of a Caregiver, took place on Friday, October 9. To listen to the recording, click HERE.
PPCC Caregiver Lightning Bug App
The new PPCC Caregiver app gives caregivers a suite of indispensable tools to manage, store and share information. Our app streamlines a Caregiver’s experience by providing the tools and features that they need most.
PPCC and the Funeral Service Foundation 
PPCC has collaborated with the Funeral Service Foundation to provide information to medical professionals, parents, and caregivers about children and the grieving process.
Latest News
Sep 2020 – Animal Assisted Therapy in Pediatric Palliative Care
Oct 2020 – Finding Your Community: Parenting a Child with a Rare Disease
Nov 2020 – Honoring Children’s Grief Awareness Day
COVID-19 Response & Resources – Thanks to all of you for the very important and hard work that you are doing in the midst of this healthcare crisis. We hope that you are healthy and well supported as you confront the challenges in this unprecedented time. We will do our best to send out helpful resources as they become available in hopes of making this time a bit easier. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help support your family or institution. Betsy Hawley, PPCC Executive Director
Resource: Pediatric E-Journal, Self-Care, Nov 2020, Issue #61
Resource: The New York Times – Dying in Your Mother’s Arms, Sep 2020 
Resource: Pediatric E-Journal, Care Throughout the Dying Process, Aug 2020, Issue #60
Resource from CPN: Peeking at the Unimaginable – Considering a Child’s End Of Life
Resource: Grieving Alone & Together During the Covid-19 Pandemic- CPN Resource: Downloadable Emergency Plan from Courageous Parents Network
PPCC’s mission is to provide resources to families, volunteers, and medical professionals caring for children with life-limiting illnesses.
A future where all children diagnosed with life-limiting conditions in Pennsylvania will have access to world-class palliative, hospice and end-of-life care. Our goal is to provide a clearer path for children and their families coping with difficult, life-altering experiences.
“Pediatric Palliative care is specialized medical care for children with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the child and the family.
Pediatric palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a child’s other doctors as an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of an illness and can be provided along with treatment meant to cure.” – Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC)
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