Profiles of Change

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia-a pioneer in fully involving patients and families as key partners in the healing process-is an award-winning hospital. In its 2008 guide to "America's Best Children's Hospitals", U.S.News & World Report ranked The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as the best hospital for children in the United States for the sixth consecutive year. Child Magazine ranked the hospital the best pediatric hospital in the United States for the fourth consecutive time. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), an arm of the American Nurses Association, awarded the hospital Magnet Status for Nursing Excellence, a designation achieved by only 2 to 3 percent of hospitals nationwide.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is a leader in establishing a national model of family-centered care. The hospital-which recognizes that when a child is sick, the entire family is affected-makes family-centered care a priority by integrating core concepts of collaboration, flexibility, support, and information for families into all of its programs and policies. The hospital also works to educate families as partners in their children's care, and relies on their feedback to improve services. The hospital's approach is nationally recognized for integrating families as valued partners in the care of their child.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia continually expands its efforts to make the hospital experience more positive for children and their families. Here are some highlights:

1994
The hospital established the Family Faculty, comprised of adult family members who are related to a child who is, or has been, cared for at The Children's Hospital. The Family Faculty participate in educational forums for medical students from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, physicians, nurses, support staff, administrators, non-clinical staff, and new employees. They suggest strategies for collaboration and teach about the principles of patient- and family-centered care from a family and patient perspective. Members are diverse in ethnicity, culture and background, as well as in their child's diagnosis and the types of services they received or are receiving. Over the years, Family Faculty members have included mothers, fathers, grandparents, adult siblings, and adult patients who received care at the hospital.

1995
The Hospital created the Family Consultant Program and currently employs paid professional family leaders (whose children either are or were patients in the hospital) to work directly with families to assist them in navigating the healthcare experience. The Family Consultants bring a unique understanding and compassion when addressing families' needs and bring a patient and family voice to communications and patient care. They also serve and represent family interests on a wide range of hospital committees and planning initiatives.

1996
The Hospital established the Family Advisory Council (FAC), to provide the patient and family perspective to hospital projects, programs, and policy development. The FAC is comprised of families from a variety of backgrounds with diverse diagnoses and experiences within the The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia network. The council also includes staff from many disciplines, all committed to advancing patient -and family-centered care. The Council works to inform senior administrators and clinical leaders at the strategic planning level while also working with key hospital committees when planning and creating new programs. Completed projects include family-friendly Web design, family beepers, and communications materials, including "A Families' Guide to Billing" and a patient/family orientation video.

1997 The Connelly Resource Center for Families opened in the main building, providing space for information, support, and other resources. Today, the hospital also has five family resource centers in ambulatory care locations. These resource centers provide quiet places to take a break or nap, browse through information on healthcare, finances, parenting and education, speak with the family librarian, surf the Internet, attend a coffee hour, or select children's books and videos.

1999
The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) was formed to provide the unique perspective of the child or teen patient, or sibling of a patient, regarding hospital programs and policies. The YAC meets monthly providing input to improve the hospital socially and physically for patients and families, and to voice opinions and concerns regarding their needs, and to have an impact on the care they receive. Examples of projects include leading Grand Rounds, creating a training video for the healthcare team, conducting patient food surveys, and developing teen night activities.

2000-2003
A family-centered approach to care continues to influence patient care practices. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provides a family presence at physician-led patient rounds and in the Emergency Department during resuscitation; the new unit design of critical beds in the CICU and PICU incorporates family sleep space; and family members are represented on key hospital committees including bioethics, clinical research, and patient safety.

2004 The hospital opened a new Outpatient Welcome Center for patients and families. Family members continue to be included as equal participants in numerous committees, task forces, and unit-based workgroups to help plan, evaluate, and improve care and services to children and their families.

2005
The hospital introduced the Little Rock Foundation Family Resource Room, a resource room for blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. The Little Rock Resource Room offers high-tech amenities such as a computer that scans books and reads them aloud, a phone that allows parties to communicate by typing instead of talking and Braille typewriter and embosser that allows children to print documents in Braille from a computer. These resources and many more help children integrate into the community.

2007
The Family-Centered Care Intranet site, a vital tool to help communicate with staff the principles of family-centered care and information about the many resources available to families across the The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia network, was launched. For further information about Family-Centered Care at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, see http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=88265