Partnering to Prepare Families of Children Who Are Technology-Dependent For Home Care

In 2017, NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Children's Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center was the Partnership Award recipient, for its innovative "Simulation Discharge Program (SDP)," a new patient education initiative that helps family/caregivers of technologydependent children prepare for hospital discharge (see Figure 2).[...]of her own experience, Courtney understood how difficult a hospital stay can be for families, and she initially focused on providing support to families whose children were hospitalized.In addition to Courtney Nataraj and Dr. Rodriguez, the team included a pediatric emergency medicine physician who is Director of Weill Cornell Medicine NewYorkPresbyterian Simulation Center; a pediatrician who is Director of Quality, Patient Safety, and Family Engagement; and a pediatric pulmonologist who is Director of the Weill Cornell Pediatric Sleep and Breathing Disorder Center; and several representatives from the hospital's Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat, Nursing, and Social Work Departments.[...]many staff who had worked with the family were concerned the parents would never be able to take their daughter home, and believed it was inevitable that she would go to a long-term care facility.