Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC to Lose an Important Advocate

Like most providers, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is sometimes out-of-touch with the daily lives of its patients. A trip to the pharmacy, or a good night's sleep, can be a struggle for families with chronically ill children. Yet most of the staff has no idea of these obstacles. They are oblivious to the illness once a patient is outside of hospital walls.

For years, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC has housed a Family Consultant paid for by the State of Pennsylvania. The position exists to assist families of very ill or special needs children. It helps to locate services and resources for their daily lives, or for the hospital or school setting. It is unique because it employs the parent of a special needs child. The perspective it offers is one that medical staff, and others, often overlook.

Earlier this year, the PA Department of Health notified Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC that they would no longer fund the position. UPMC Health System, the parent company, refuses to continue the program and has no plans to offer an alternative. Next month, Suzanne Durler, who holds the position, will say goodbye to families who need her help.

Obviously, few in the UPMC Health System realize how important a pediatric Family Consultant is. (UPMC treats adults.) Since their merger in 2001, UPMC has controlled some of the operations for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Coincidentally, the ratings for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have declined in recent years.

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC would not have to spend a dime to keep the Family Consultant. Grants exist to help fund not only one staff member, but also several. Instead, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC aims for the "big money." Surely it can find a small sum for the Family Consultant out of the multi-million dollar donations it receives each year. Is it necessary to add another weight to the shoulders of parents of critically ill children?

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC will not be the only facility in Pennsylvania without a Family Consultant. At least two other hospitals, including Hershey Medical Center, will let their programs go. The main reason is that the State of Pennsylvania is no longer footing the bill.

This is a chance for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC to reclaim the status of a health-care leader. It has broken ground for the construction of a new hospital. Now, it has an opportunity to pioneer a new realm of patient care by blending medicine with all aspects of a patient's life.

A world-class hospital is nothing if even one patient falls through the cracks. The Family Consultant, Suzanne Durler, is a safety net for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. It has been said, "The sum of the parts is the whole." Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC will lose an important part of their system if they allow this position to end.