NHPCO Pediatric Standards Receives American Academy of Pediatrics' Affirmation of Value

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The NHPCO Standards of Practice for Pediatric Palliative Care and Hospice has received an Affirmation of Value from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).  This is an important step in affirming the importance of pediatric-specific standards in improving the quality of palliative care and hospice services for children.

The AAP commends the NHPCO for its commitment to improving the standard of care for children living with life-threatening conditions who may benefit from pediatric palliative care and hospice services.  Under the leadership of the recently established AAP Provisional Section on Hospice and Palliative Medicine (PSOHPM), the AAP looks forward to partnering with the NHPCO on future endeavors, including the implementation of the Pediatric Standards.

Marcia Levetown, MD, FAAP, chair of the PSOHPM, lauds this achievement. "This document defines programmatic elements and standards which, if uniformly implemented, would ensure that programs for children with life-threatening conditions and their families provide the best care available.  This work will help to raise the bar and to sustain the field for many years."

"While many people think of hospice care primarily for elderly persons at the end of life -- 66 percent of hospice patients are over the age of 75, reports NHPCO -- care for children and families facing serious illness and death are an important population that should not be overlooked," remarked J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO.

The Standards of Practice for Pediatric Palliative Care and Hospice was developed by the NHPCO's Children's Project for Palliative/Hospice Services (ChiPPS).  The goal of promulgating such standards is to help hospice and palliative care providers develop safe, effective, and high-quality programming for children and their families facing serious and life-limiting conditions. (Download the documents from http://www.nhpco.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=5874.)

An additional available document of interest is NHPCO Facts & Figures on Pediatric Palliative and Hospice Care in America.

Learn more about the Pediatric Standards and the work of ChiPPS at www.nhpco.org/pediatrics.  

NHPCO is the oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. NHPCO's mission is to lead and mobilize social change for improved care at the end of life.

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J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD

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SOURCE National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization