David E. Zullo Pediatric Palliative Care (PACCT) Program
What is the PACCT Program?
The David E. Zullo Pediatric Advanced Comprehensive Care Team (PACCT) is a unique continuing care program available to children being treated for cancer and blood disorders at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH). The PACCT program was designed to reduce stress for families and provide the highest level of comfort for both patients and their loved ones.
At BMSCH, we believe it is important for children to receive the same quality of care at home that they receive in the hospital. PACCT allows you and your child to have the same caregivers at home that you have come to know through your visits to the hospital. If end of life care is necessary, PACCT will be there to provide the care and no referral to hospice will be needed.
About PACCT
A team of nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, nutritionists, child life specialists, counselors, pastoral care, and others specially trained for children living with cancer provide care throughout the entire course of your child’s illness in all settings including hospital, clinic and home care. Your child receives this highly specialized care from the time they are diagnosed, through to remission, cure or end of life.
How does PACCT work?
Your caregivers will prepare a plan for your child before you leave the hospital. After you leave the hospital, the team will make visits to your home as needed. All team members report back to one another, whether they have visited the home or not, making sure that all members of the care team are kept informed of the child’s condition. The team is available 24 hours a day in case of emergencies.
For additional information on the PACCT Program, please call 732-253-3730.
International Recognition
The David E. Zullo Pediatric Palliative Care Program (PACCT) recently received a significant award from Children's Hospice International. Two of the PACCT team members (Christine Call-Sternberg and Donna Plaxe) traveled to Singapore to receive the award in person. This international recognition is a sign of the great and necessary work that the PACCT program is able to accomplish.
Support for the PACCT Program
The PACCT Program is funded by the Embrace Kids Foundation (www.embracekids.org), a non-profit organization located in New Brunswick, NJ. The organization provides funding for a variety of services for our patients and their families while continuing to support research initatives.
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