Our nationally recognized program has served as a model for other organizations in providing care to children, from prenatal to young adult, with complex, chronic or serious medical conditions. Our goal is to enhance your and your child's quality of life in partnership with cure-directed care.
We offer specialized medical care for children with serious illnesses, including genetic disorders, cancer, prematurity, neurologic disorders, and heart and lung conditions. We focus on relieving symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness and improving quality of life for both your child and family.
We also help with communication and coordination of care. With the close communication we provide, you're better able to choose options that are in line with your values, traditions and culture. This improves the well-being of the entire family.
It takes a specialized team to address the physical, social and emotional aspects of caring for a child with serious medical issues. Not only do we help control pain and other symptoms, we provide support for emotional, psychological, practical, spiritual, educational and developmental issues that may contribute to suffering or interfere with healing.
We work in collaboration with your child’s other healthcare providers and specialists to provide seamless care coordination and communication and help you in making informed choices about difficult medical decisions.
We personalize care for each patient and family, by allowing you to choose from a variety of available services, according to your needs.
When a child faces a chronic condition or a serious illness, families often feel as if life has become a roller coaster ride. We're here to provide support along the journey, no matter what the outcome may be.
Our palliative care program is appropriate when:
Even if your child is in a neonatal or pediatric intensive care unit, or in an acute care setting, he or she can benefit from the pain control, symptom management, care coordination or additional family support offered through our program.
A terminal diagnosis is not required. We care for children with both cancer and non-cancer diagnoses such as leukodystrophy, congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy and mitochondrial disease.
We have found our care to be most beneficial when we begin the journey with the family at the time of diagnosis and continue with them for as long as they may need.
Our center has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval by demonstrating compliance with the commission's national standards for healthcare quality and safety in pediatric palliative care.
We strive to integrate legendary, indispensable and individualized pediatric palliative care into the journey for all children, adults and their families living with chronic, complex and/or life-threatening conditions of childhood. We also provide leadership in education, research and advocacy initiatives in pediatric palliative care locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Director, Pediatric Palliative Care; Sarah Elizabeth Friebert, M.D. Leadership Chair in Pediatric Palliative Care; Pediatric Palliative Care Physician
Pediatric Palliative Care Physician
Family Nurse Practitioner
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Pediatric Palliative Care Physician
Pediatric Palliative Care Physician
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner; Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist
Pediatric Psychologist
Reiki therapy is a light touch, non-invasive technique. The study looks at the effects of Reiki therapy on pain, heart rate, respiratory rate, stress, and quality of life in children ages 1 to 5. We hope to provide evidence that Reiki therapy is relaxing and beneficial for children and can improve their quality of life.
Currently recruiting
The purpose of this study is to learn about adjustment difficulties in bereaved families whose child or sibling was in Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC). We will be comparing families who have Palliative Care involvement and those that do not. This study will allow us to understand the benefits of PPC for bereaved families. We will also be able to investigate other factors such as alcohol use, coping, religion, social support, child-parent conflict, and martial conflict that could lead to positive or negative outcomes of bereaved families. The results from this study will used to develop better family-focused interventions for bereaved families.
Currently recruiting
Whether suffering is physical, emotional, social, spiritual or practical, Akron Children’s Hospital’s palliative care team provides treatment to relieve symptoms and conditions that cause distress and detract from a child’s enjoyment of life.
Help support this important program by donating to one of the funds benefitting the Haslinger Family Center for Pediatric Palliative Care.
The Haslinger Family Pediatric Palliative Care Center offers a variety of educational opportunities for students.
A 1-year or 2-year Fellowship is offered to physicians who have completed an accredited residency in pediatrics, IM/peds or family practice and wish to subspecialize in Pediatric Palliative Care.
A 4-week elective is offered to palliative care fellows in other accredited programs to enhance their pediatric knowledge.
A 4-week elective is offered to residents in accredited training programs.
A 4-week elective is offered to 4th-year medical students in accredited programs.
Shadowing experiences are offered to trainees in other programs or at other levels.
Pediatric Palliative Care Fellowship
