SESSION DESCRIPTION
Children with medical complexity face barriers to accessing pediatric palliative care. Drawing on the experience of a home-based program serving 145 children across four Northern California counties, this session highlights practical, replicable strategies to expand community-based services. Participants will explore innovative approaches to workforce development, care transitions, and flexible payment models that support sustainability. They will leave with actionable ideas to improve access, strengthen care teams, and support children with serious illness and their families.
OBJECTIVES
- Analyze barriers to pediatric palliative care access and implement practical strategies to expand community-based services.
- Design workforce partneships and workload strategies that strengthen pediatric palliative care staffing pipelines and promote long-term clinican sustainability.
- Develop care coordination approaches for critical transitions, including hospital discharge, insurance eligibility changes, and shifts from pediatric to adult care.
- Examine flexible reimbursement models for pediatric palliative care services, including fee-for-service and bundled monthly payment structures.
FACULTY
Margy Mayfield, RN
CEO, Coastal Kids Home Care
Stephanie Gonzalez, MSW, LCSW
Director of Palliative Care and Enhanced Care Management
Coastal Kids Home Care