Meet the Team

Meet our experienced team of pain, palliative and integrative medicine professionals

The interdisciplinary programs in the pain, palliative care & integrative medicine department at Children’s Minnesota are truly one-of-a-kind. We collaborate with a child’s established medical team to provide specialized holistic care according to each kid’s needs. Our team consists of the following professionals who work together to help you and your family:

• Pediatric pain physicians & advanced practice nurses: Our big-hearted medical providers can provide expert-level pain management in the hospital and a plan to reclaim your child’s life from pain and other persistent symptoms.  
• Palliative care physicians & advanced practice nurses: Our compassionate palliative care providers’ priority is to make sure you and your child are comfortable and enjoying the best quality of life possible.   
• Integrative medicine providers & advanced practice nurses: Medications do not always help relieve discomfort. That is why our integrative medicine providers are here to assist with other ways to help relieve pain and distressing symptoms. With mind, body and spirit techniques, our integrative medicine providers provide techniques and treatments for your child to do daily.   
• Physical therapists: Pain and other distressing symptoms often lead to a decrease in activity. Our physical therapists have specialized training in pain and distressing symptoms to get your child back to the activities they enjoy.  
• Psychologists: Our psychologists understand that pain and other distressing symptoms can impact multiple areas of life. They provide effective treatment to support pain rehabilitation, including focus on physiological relaxation, stress management and assistance in returning to previous levels of functioning. Our psychologists will also assist in identifying other areas that may be impacting life and functioning, including referrals to community therapists to treat underlying anxiety or depressive symptoms.  
• Clinical social workers: Parenting a child experiencing persistent symptoms or facing life-threatening illness is difficult. Our clinical pain social workers empower parents and guardians with the tools they need to address their child’s symptoms & cope with the complexities of serious illness 
• Clinic nurses and coordinators: Our clinic nurses & coordinators provide consistent support for kids and families going through our program and are the point of contact for families between visits.  
• Child life specialist: Our child life specialists are health care professionals who work with children and families in the home palliative and hospice programs in the hospitals or at home to help them cope with the challenges of hospitalization, illness and disabilities.  
• Home care nurses: For patients and families in our home palliative and home hospice programs, our small group of nurses visit the home to assess symptoms and adjust the treatment plan to promote comfort. They are available to families 24 hours per day by phone to support them in sorting out the issues that arise at home. Our home care nurses visit your home to assist with assessing and treating symptoms, they do not stay in the home to provide care. We want to make sure we help our patients in relieving their symptoms no matter what setting they are in.