Elevating the Unimaginable Experience: A Multidisciplinary Initiative to Improve Pediatric End-of-Life Care
Published September 1, 2020
Jessika Boles, PhD, CCLS, Child Life Team Lead, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Anne Duplechain, MEd, Child Life Specialist, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Camille Fraser, MS, CCLS, Child Life Specialist II, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Maile Jones, MEd, CIMI, Graduate Research Contractor, Vanderbilt University
Katie Smith, Bereaved Parent Advisor, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Millions of children die each year – most of whom are touched by healthcare providers in traditional hospital settings or home-health agencies. This webinar reviews current findings on the experiences of bereaved families, positioned alongside institutional practices reported by healthcare providers, and first-person perspectives from a bereaved parent advisor. Participants will explore the development of a hospital-wide bereavement committee to implement and improve end-of-life services in a pediatric hospital i%MCEPASTEBIN%n collaboration with hospital leadership, front-line staff, bereaved parents, and community partners. Lastly, attendees will review the achievements of this committee while highlighting the importance of collaboration between bereaved families and providers to positively impact the patient experience.
Related content
-
Patient Family & Community Engagement | Quality & Clinical Excellence | Staff & Provider Engagement
Collaborative Solutions for Managing Challenging Family Interactions
Published January 27, 2026
Discover a human-centered, multidisciplinary approach to navigating difficult family interactions in healthcare. This webinar shares how teams across all levels – clinicians, leaders, and families – developed tools, algorithms, and training processes to ensure safety, teamwork, and emotional support. Attend this webinar to learn practical strategies for creating healing environments and fostering collaboration to address
Learn more -
Innovation & Technology | Patient Family & Community Engagement
Transforming Patient Care: Expanding Equitable Language Access with AI Across Every Touchpoint
Published January 15, 2026
Complimentary – Clear communication is essential for equitable care, but for the approximately 25 million Americans with limited English proficiency (LEP), language remains a major barrier to safety and quality in healthcare. Though hospitals have improved clinical translation, most language access programs stop at the exam room door. Non-clinical staff—including reception and food services—often lack the
Learn more -
Patient Family & Community Engagement
From Fear to Hope: How Communication Transformed Our Pregnancy Journey A Personal Narrative on the Critical Role of Healthcare Communication in Patient Experience
Published August 8, 2025
This article emphasises the transformative potential of compassionate healthcare communication, particularly in the context of pregnancy loss. This personal narrative illustrates how varying communication approaches can significantly alter patient experiences, transforming anxiety-laden medical encounters into empowering partnerships with healthcare providers. A ten-month journey through pregnancy after a devastating miscarriage revealed the profound impact of communication
Learn more