Are you a physician passionate about providing comprehensive care and improving the quality of life for children facing life-threatening conditions? Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) offers a leading Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program, a one-year, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited program designed to cultivate experts in pediatric palliative care. Our fellowship is dedicated to training physicians who excel in symptom management, ethical medical decision-making, and addressing the unique quality-of-life concerns of young patients and their families.
At CHLA, a nationally recognized 413-bed quaternary care facility consistently ranked among the top 10 children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, you will receive unparalleled clinical training. Our Division of Palliative Medicine is seamlessly integrated across all medical specialties, ensuring a holistic and collaborative approach to care. We are committed to fostering your growth into a skilled and compassionate pediatric palliative care provider through a comprehensive and enriching one-year fellowship experience.
Comprehensive Curriculum for Future Leaders in Pediatric Palliative Care
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles boasts one of the nation’s largest and most active pediatric palliative care services, providing a rich and diverse learning environment for our fellows.
Extensive Inpatient Palliative Care Consultation Experience
A significant portion of your fellowship, 6 ½ months, will be dedicated to our dynamic inpatient pediatric palliative care consultation service. Working within a full interdisciplinary team comprising experienced physicians, advanced practice nurses, social workers, and psychologists, you will be immersed in a high-volume environment. Annually, we manage approximately 500 new consultations spanning the entire pediatric and young adult age spectrum, alongside thousands of follow-up encounters. Our consultations encompass a broad spectrum of needs, from complex symptom management to guiding families through challenging treatment decisions in advanced illness, always prioritizing value-based and goal-concordant care.
To broaden your experience, you will also undertake a three-week rotation at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center’s inpatient palliative care consultation service, focusing primarily on adult patient care within an interdisciplinary setting.
Robust Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic
Our Accredited Pediatric Palliative Care Program includes a well-established outpatient clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. In a weekly half-day clinic, you will participate as part of the interdisciplinary team, providing longitudinal care to patients and families. CHLA has been a pioneer in telemedicine in palliative care since 2018. Our mature telemedicine program provides unique insights into the home lives of our patients, enhancing our ability to deliver patient-centered care.
Hospice and Home-Based Palliative Care Expertise
We maintain a strong partnership with Providence Home Care and Trinity Kids Care (TKC), leaders in home-based care. You will spend five weeks with TKC, gaining in-depth experience in their specialized pediatric home hospice and home-based palliative care program, typically seeing around 20 patients weekly. You will work directly with hospice Medical Director Glen Komatsu, MD, benefiting from his extensive expertise. This rotation is complemented by a five-week experience with an adult hospice program, allowing you to compare and contrast inpatient hospice unit operations. A key focus will be mastering the provision of comprehensive care for terminally ill patients in their home environments, including understanding Medicare and Medicaid hospice regulations.
Long-Term Care and Inpatient Rehabilitation Exposure
To understand the continuum of care, fellows complete two weeks at All Saints Sub Acute Facility, caring for both pediatric and adult patients, with a focus on pediatric cases under the supervision of Pediatric Medical Director, Dr. Sally Ward. Additionally, two weeks will be spent at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ inpatient Acute Rehabilitation hospital. These rotations are designed to provide a deeper understanding of the systems and financing of caregiving across the lifespan, from infancy through adulthood. You will also gain experience in conducting family meetings within these settings, facilitating coordinated care for patients with functional impairments.
Tailored Elective Rotations
Our accredited pediatric palliative care program allows for individualized learning through three one-week elective rotations in specialties closely linked to palliative medicine. These electives offer opportunities to deepen your knowledge in areas such as pediatric oncology and radiation oncology clinics, inpatient complex care, neurocritical care, and maternal-fetal medicine. One week is also dedicated to the acute/chronic pain service, including time in the Complementary and Integrative Medicine outpatient pain clinic, enhancing your skills in comprehensive symptom management.
Quality Improvement and Research Opportunities
Quality improvement is integral to our program. Utilizing the Institute for HealthCare Innovation (IHI) QI modules, our curriculum incorporates a year-long QI program, culminating in a final project eligible for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit. Furthermore, four weeks of elective time can be dedicated to research or QI projects, or other clinical or educational pursuits that align with your career goals in pediatric palliative care.
Leadership Development and Education
Fellows participate in a unique anesthesia/critical care medicine leadership curriculum alongside other first-year fellows. This collaborative environment encourages self-reflection on leadership styles and strengths. The program also includes a pediatric fellows’ core curriculum, addressing vital topics from career planning to effective feedback techniques. A weekly Palliative Medicine Lecture Series further enhances your knowledge base, covering symptom management, communication skills, journal club discussions, and more.
Emphasis on Well-Being
Recognizing the demanding nature of medicine, our accredited pediatric palliative care program prioritizes well-being. The Division of Comfort and Palliative Care actively promotes a culture of well-being, integrating fellows into activities such as reflections and recognitions at meetings. A monthly compassion-based case conference with wellness check-ins and narrative medicine integration into the curriculum further support your personal and professional well-being. We also facilitate monthly wellness sessions with Critical Care fellows, supported by our head of Graduate Medical Education Wellness. We are dedicated to fostering a supportive environment that promotes work-life harmony.
Program Locations
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles – Division of Palliative Care
- Providence Trinity Kids Care and Trinity Home Hospice
- All Saints Sub-Acute Facility
- Kaiser Permanente Southern California Palliative Medicine Service
Mentorship
Our program provides comprehensive mentorship including:
- Career Development Mentor
- Well-being Mentor/Coach
- Scholarship/Research Mentor
Benefits
We offer a competitive benefits package:
- Funding to attend one academic conference
- Reduced rate for covered parking
- Dedicated office space, computer, and pager
- Access to textbooks and resources
- Competitive salary minimums based on Post Graduate Year level
- Comprehensive benefits including health and dental insurance, paid vacation and sick days, yearly educational stipend, monthly meal stipend, housing stipend, and 401(k) matching.
How to Apply
The Palliative Medicine Program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Applications are accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). To apply for this accredited pediatric palliative care program, please submit your application via the ERAS application process.
ACGME program number: 5400512116
NRMP program number: 1031540F0
Interviews are conducted in August, September, and October. We look forward to receiving your application.
