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Parent Advisory Board

Miller Children’s Parent Advisory Board has very special plans this Christmas Eve. It isn’t the traditional holiday party or white elephant gift exchange they are looking forward to. But rather the experience of giving back to families who have children in the hospital on Christmas Eve, by bringing more than 100 hospitalized families’ a home cooked lunch.

“It’s never a good time to have your child be hospitalized,” says Michelle Morrissey, parent advisory board member. “But it can dampen the spirits a little more during the holidays. So if this lunch can help lessen the families’ anxieties for a little while it’s worth it.”

More than 14 different parent advisory board members and their families will deliver these meals to hospitalized families in the two general pediatrics units, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the hematology/oncology unit. A grant from Golden State Foods has allowed the parent advisory board to give back to parents who are going through very similar experiences as they once did.

The parent advisory board is a group of parents who are “experts” in the hospitalization experience. All of the members of the parent advisory board either have had a child hospitalized in the past or have a child with a chronic condition, who makes frequent visits to the hospital for care. The parent advisory board members serve as mentors and can draw from their family’s own hospitalization experience to help mentor newly diagnosed or hospitalized parents to cope and manage the hospitalization journey.

“We’ve all been in their [newly hospitalized parents’] shoes and know how overwhelming it can feel,” says Morrissey. “It’s rewarding for us to show them that they are going to get through it, even if they don’t feel like it now. We are essentially letting them know that they are now a part of our extended family; and who doesn’t want to be with their family during the holidays?”

For more information on the Parent Advisory Board or for to find out how you can help please call (562) 933-8044.

The Parent Advisory Board is a group of parents of current and former pediatric patients that meet once a month to advise and partner with Miller Children’s physicians and staff on a variety of issues related to hospitalized children and their families.

The Parent Advisory Board:

  • Mentors current parents of hospitalized children and offers support and guidance.
  • Participates in community events that promote child advocacy and safety.
  • Supports community health care initiatives and government relations strategies to pass important national and state pediatric health care policies.
  • Consults and provides feedback and parent perspectives on programs, policies, the day-to-day hospital environment.
  • Sits on hospital performance committees and hospital-based advisory boards.

Our Mission

The Parent Advisory Board at Miller Children’s participates in activities that facilitate creating a cooperative community where families and health care teams partner for the good of children.

Our Vision

To work with physicians and staff to promote a positive patient and family centered care experience for patients in the hospital and their families.

Contact the Parent Advisory Board

The Parent Advisory Board meets monthly in the Family Resource Center. For more information or to find out how you can be involved please contact Miller Children’s Parent Advocate at (562) 933-8044.
 

www.memorialcare.org

Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach
2801 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806
(562) 933-5437

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MemorialCare Health System is a not-for-profit integrated-delivery system which includes Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and San Clemente. Our community-based hospitals are located in Southern California in both Los Angeles County and Orange County. Copyright © 1999 - 2009, Memorial Health Services. All rights reserved.