Caring for Children and their Families in Palliative Care

Sep 4, 2026

This week at the Open Medical Institute, we hosted a CME accredited seminar surrounding the extremely impactful topic of Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC). This seminar was held in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and took place from August 30-September 5, 2026.

This course was led by Dr. Shefali Parikh, who is the Director of the Ingerman Center for Palliative Care at CHOP and the Chief of the section of Pediatric Palliative Care. This is her third time being a part of the PPC course as faculty here in Salzburg, and her second time as Course Director. This was a very interdisciplinary course, and the three colleagues she was joined by each brought a different area of expertise within the world of PPC.

The other faculty members present this week included Patrick Ahern, a palliative care nurse practitioner who serves as the Advanced Practice Practitioner Clinical Manager at CHOP, Dana Dombrowski, a medical social worker who works as the Psychosocial Program Coordinator on the Palliative Care Team, and Dr. Victoria Johnson, a PPC physician who also serves as the Associate Program Director of CHOP’s VitalTalk communication education program. All four faculty members bring a distinct passion for innovative approaches to palliative care and wellness, including Medical Improv, fostering community and home-based hospice care, and prioritizing educating clinicians on providing the most straightforward yet empathetic forms of communication for patients and their families.

The fellows participating in this course were very eager to learn and collaborate with their peers as well as the faculty present. This motivation reflected the 200+ applications received for this week’s seminar, ultimately resulting in 36 fellows from 28 different countries joining together at Schloss Arenberg. We had fellows present from different parts of Central Europe, Asia, Africa, North and Central America, and even a few from right down the road in Salzburg.

When asked to describe the week’s course, Dr. Parikh stated, “This week, we explored the many dimensions of pediatric palliative care, from expert pain and symptom management, empathetic communication and decision-making support, to grief and bereavement, and care at the end of life. At the heart of this work is knowing each child and family as individuals; understanding their hopes and fears, honoring their cultures and traditions, and remaining curious about what matters most to them as they navigate serious illness. We also explored how we support the clinicians and teams caring for these children and how to build programs that allow high-quality palliative care to reach children and families wherever they are.”

The fellows were a very engaged and talkative group outside the classroom as well, frequently reflecting on how impactful the lectures and workshops were to them. Discussions and teachings about communicating difficult news with patients were especially appreciated by fellows, who felt as if this was a gap in their previous medical education. They then had the opportunity to present a case from home to the faculty and their peers, getting input from multiple perspectives as to how the situation was handled within their field of medical care.

This was an inspiring and motivating course for fellows and faculty alike. When asked about her wish for the future of Pediatric Palliative Care, Course Director Dr. Parikh said this:

“There is increasing recognition that attention to quality of life and suffering as defined by the family, empathetic communication, and the needs of the whole family are essential components of caring for children with serious illness.
My hope is that this awareness continues to translate into expanded education, stronger interdisciplinary collaboration, and continued development of pediatric palliative care within each participant’s own community. Ultimately, I hope that every child with serious illness and every family who could benefit from palliative care has access to it. I am deeply grateful to OMI for creating a space where clinicians from across countries and cultures can learn from one another, build relationships, and return home with new ideas and renewed commitment to advancing this work.”

Harriet Hammond, MD

OMI fellow from Ghana

This week felt like more than a seminar. It has been an opportunity to rethink how I understand care, suffering, hope, and what truly matters to patients and their families. I’ve learned how I can listen, respond to emotion, and I have gained structure for communicating with patients and colleagues. The faculty has been exceptional in their willingness to listen, answer our questions, and share their experiences with such humility. This experience has been beautiful both inside and outside the classroom, and I am entirely grateful to OMI, the entire faculty, and my colleagues for giving me the best week of my life.

Bettina-Lavinia Boeriu, MD

OMI fellow from Romania

The lectures delivered by Dr. Shefali Parikh and Dana Dombrowski gave me one foundational principle I am taking home from this seminar: We must always provide goal-concordant care that is entirely defined by the patient and their family. It was emphasized so strongly today how important it is that we do not make life-altering decisions for the family.

Márton Szabados, MD

OMI fellow from Hungary

Pediatric palliative care is a field that needs improvement in our country, and through many small steps, we hope that one day we will reach the level of countries where this field is already well established and advanced. Therefore, every piece of information, idea, advice, and personal experience shared here contributes to and enriches my everyday work.

Mairi Bassingthwaighte, MD

OMI fellow from South Africa

I feel so unbelievably privileged to have had the opportunity to attend this truly one-of-a kind seminar in a one-of-a-kind location. The safe space created at Schloss Arenberg is truly something to treasure. It is a haven for healthcare professionals from all over the world to learn new skills in an environment that fosters international collaboration and excellence in healthcare.

Maria Adelaida Cordoba, MD

OMI fellow from Colombia

The morning lectures by Dr. Victoria Johnson and Dana Dombrowski were very inspiring. They are both very passionate about the work they do, and you can feel it through their presentation skills. Their talks were impressive, adding more depth to my knowledge while also providing a framework for communication and mapping goals. It was really nice to have a structure for something I do every day in my clinical practice.

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