Comfort, Pain and Palliative Care program
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Contact: Elizabeth Valenzuela (323) 361-7686
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The Comfort, Pain and Palliative Care Program (CPPC) is a comprehensive and cross-functional health care unit that is dedicate to the prevention and treatment of pain and fear for children and their families.
Through our leadership in clinical care, education and research, we create an environment in which an interdisciplinary, family-centered approach is used to address the biological, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual aspects of pain and fear.
Our Services
Acute Pain Services
The Magik (making aches go-away in kids) Inpatient Service cares for more than 1,800 patients each year. It provides daily pain management to hospitalized children, along with consultative services to medical and surgical staff. In addition to pain assessments, the team offers medication management, coordination of other therapies and integration with other disciplines to achieve a comprehensive treatment plan.
Chronic Pain Services
The Pediatric Pain Management Clinic follows nearly 200 patients a year, providing assistance with complex and/or long-term pain issues. Along with assessment and management services, it offers individual and family therapy; breathing, relaxation and imagery training; counseling on parenting issues; education and coordination of services.
Palliative Care
Our Comfort and Palliative Care Team supports the primary care team for patients who have life-threatening illnesses, helping to holistically manage symptoms and support the emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being of the patient and family.
About Our Team
The membership of the our program includes:
- Anesthesiologists
- Nurse Practitioners
- Pediatricians
- Physicians
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
Research, Education and Training
In addition to the clinical services the program provides extensive educational and administrative assistance to the institution. We are actively involved in the education of residents, fellows, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and spiritual care providers.
Our program provides input or oversight of the development, implementation and ongoing assessment of all pain educational programs at the hospital. The program has established a lecture series for the pediatric and anesthesiology house staff, and is actively creating a hospital-wide pain management education standard.
Through direction of the hospital's Comfort, Pain, and Palliative Care Committee, our program is implementing a hospital-wide integrated system of services in order to minimize any discomfort and distress our patients and families may experience, ranging from routine blood draws to end-of-life care.
Currently, our team's research interests include:
- Chronic pain
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies
- Health-related quality of life
- Sleep
Our Mission
The mission of the Comfort, Pain and Palliative Care Program at our hospital is to care for children who suffer from pain and discomfort.
Wellbeing is promoted using a collaborative approach among practitioners, and practicing conventional, complementary, and alternative health care.
The program is dedicated to leadership in the continuing education of every individual involved in the care of children to promote the knowledge and skills required to recognize and manage physical and emotional distress.
The program supports clinical and basic science research, the foundation of future improvements in children’s care. This encompasses the identification, prevention, amelioration, and treatment of pain and its psycho-emotional aspects.
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