Mott certified as a national leader in pediatric pain prevention and treatment

Approximately a 3-minute read

Key takeaways:

• Thanks to its multidisciplinary pain teams, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is the first ChildKind certified hospital in the state of Michigan.
• ChildKind International is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of pediatric pain care across the world by awarding certification in pediatric pain prevention and treatment.
• Over the past few years, a workgroup in Mott put together an application for an accreditation of excellence from ChildKind, which was recognized during National Pain Awareness Month.

Thanks to its multidisciplinary pain teams, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is the first ChildKind certified hospital in the state of Michigan!

ChildKind International is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of pediatric pain care across the world by awarding certification in pediatric pain prevention and treatment.

Over the past few years, a workgroup in Mott has been putting together an application for an accreditation of excellence from ChildKind.

The team is excited to receive this accreditation, especially during National Pain Awareness Month.

“I am continually amazed by the incredible individuals that I have had the privilege of working with and learning from throughout this process and my tenure with the organization, including faculty, colleagues, and most of all, the patients who have invited me into their intricate lives,” said Elizabeth Pasternak, M.S., R.N., clinical nurse in the Stepping Stones Pediatric Palliative Care team at Mott and the workgroup lead.

Other members of the team include Tricia Keefer, M.D., Eric Scott, Ph.D., Chris Gajar, Kim Miller, Laura Sedig, M.D., Sarah Gargan, Carly Pavlis and Kendall Huizenga.  

Holistic approach to pediatric pain

“Being the first ChildKind certified hospital in Michigan is a public testament to the incredible pediatric pain care that Mott provides and once again makes us stand out amongst our peers,” said Kelly Baird-Cox, D.N.P., R.N., CPNP, CPEN, C.E.N., TCRN, NEA-BC, CENP, chief nursing officer at Mott and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.

“This exceptional achievement would not be possible without all of our teams working together to prevent and treat pediatric pain in new and innovative ways.”

ChildKind assesses organizations on their pain prevention and treatment in compliance with ChildKind’s five principles:

• An institutional commitment to pain prevention, assessment, and treatment.
• Ongoing education programs and awareness initiatives on pain for staff, trainees, patients and any of their caregivers.
• Use of evidence-informed, developmentally appropriate processes for assessment of acute and chronic pain.
• Specific evidence informed protocols for pain prevention and treatment including pharmacological, psychological, and physical methods.
• Regular institutional self-monitoring within the framework of continuous quality improvement.

ChildKind noted that they were very impressed with leadership’s strong executive support for pain prevention and treatment, as well as the multidisciplinary care and teamwork collaboration at Mott including the Child & Family Life team’s support with pain management.

In addition, they highlighted the Mott Pain Resource Nurse Program, an educational initiative bringing nurses across Mott together to continually train in best practices around pain. Finally, the ChildKind team was impressed with the pain protocols and quality improvement efforts happening within Mott.

Pasternak noted that it’s the patients who drive the efforts of the Mott pain team.

“Hearing their stories has pushed us to take a more holistic view of health care that includes the patient’s entire experience,” Pasternak said. “Pain care is such a critical component of this experience and this accreditation shows our commitment to ensuring that pain management remains a cornerstone of patient care at Mott.”

Congratulations to Mott for being the first ChildKind certified hospital in the state!