Bringing PedsAcademy to more children

While PedsAcademy expands at Nemours, the broader vison includes growth beyond the hospital’s walls. “I see huge potential—not only for Nemours Children’s Hospital but for all children’s hospitals,” says Terri Finkel, M.D., Ph.D., chair of pediatrics and chief scientific officer at Nemours Children’s Hospital. “Many children’s hospitals are associated in some way with a university or institution of higher education and likely a teaching college. It’s pretty evident that this program could readily be spread to all children’s hospitals.”

Nickels says strategic planning is underway to develop the PedsAcademy model so that it can be rolled out to other hospitals, and discussions are ongoing with several children’s hospitals to expand the program nationally.

“We need to be able to ensure for children everywhere that no matter their medical condition, we give them the educational opportunity that allows them to live a life they’ve chosen for themselves,” Nickels says. “That’s our goal.”