Community Hospice & Palliative Care Welcomes Families to the Dorion Family Pediatric Center During Special Open House

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Hospice & Palliative Care recently welcomed children and families served through Community PēdsCare® to a special open house at the new Dorion Family Pediatric Center, allowing them to experience the dedicated pediatric hospice and palliative care center for the very first time.

The event marked an exciting milestone as families explored the thoughtfully designed center, participated in activities, connected with care team members, and discovered the many ways the new space will enhance the compassionate, family-centered care they already receive.

Earlier this month, Community Hospice & Palliative Care officially opened The Dorion Family Pediatric Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring remarks from Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, Community Hospice & Palliative Care President and CEO Phillip Ward, Susan Ponder-Stansel, President and CEO of Alivia Care, Inc., the parent organization of Community Hospice, and the building's namesake, Dottie Dorion. The ceremony celebrated the opening of Florida's first dedicated pediatric hospice and palliative care center and its promise to serve children and families throughout Northeast Florida.

Now open and welcoming families, The Dorion Family Pediatric Center serves as the home of Community PēdsCare, expanding access to specialized pediatric hospice and palliative care services while creating a place where children and families can gather, learn, heal, and build meaningful connections.

"This center was thoughtfully designed with our families at the heart of every decision," said Phillip Ward, president and CEO of Community Hospice & Palliative Care. "Watching our patients and families walk through the doors for the first time and seeing their excitement was incredibly meaningful. The Dorion Family Pediatric Center represents more than a building. It is a place where children can simply be children, where families can find support and where our team can continue providing compassionate care in new and meaningful ways."

The open house represented more than an opportunity to tour a new facility. For many families, it was their first chance to see a space created specifically for them. As children explored the Healing Harmonies Music Therapy Room, expressed themselves in the HeArts and Hope Creative Arts Room, discovered the Sensory Therapeutic Playroom, enjoyed the Adventure Playground, gathered beneath the Tree of Wonder, and spent time in the peaceful Outdoor Sanctuary, the center quickly became what it was always intended to be, a place of comfort, connection, and community.

The Dorion Family Pediatric Center complements the in-home care Community PēdsCare has provided for decades by offering dedicated spaces for music therapy, creative arts, therapeutic recreation, child life services, caregiver support, grief support, educational workshops, support groups, and other family-centered programming. Every room was intentionally designed to encourage healing, play, self-expression, and meaningful connections while creating opportunities for children to be children and for families to spend quality time together. In addition to the organization's in-home services, the center expands the comprehensive support available to families across Northeast Florida.

Community PēdsCare continues to provide care wherever families need it most, including in their homes, hospitals, and now at the Dorion Family Pediatric Center. Together, these services ensure children with serious illnesses and their families receive comprehensive, compassionate support throughout every stage of their journey.

For more information about Community PēdsCare and the Dorion Family Pediatric Center, visit CommunityPedsCare.com.

About Community Hospice & Palliative Care
Established in 1979, Community Hospice & Palliative Care is an innovative national leader in palliative and hospice care, as well as providing programs and services to meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. During its 47-year history, through the support of more than 1,000 employees and 1,000 volunteers, the organization helps approximately 1,500 patients per day to live better with advanced illness – at home, in long-term care and assisted living facilities, in hospitals and at its 10 inpatient care centers. No one is ever denied care due to an inability to pay. To learn more about the support and services of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, visit CommunityHospice.com

Contact:
Michelle Cardinal, Public Relations
Cell: 904.477.4103
E-Mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Community Hospice & Palliative Care