Pediatric State of the Science

Thursday, March 5, 2026

1:00pm - 2:00pm PST

Location: Room 32 AB

Author (not presenting)(s)

Rachel A. Kentor, PhD (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor
Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital

PDF Slides

Presenting Author(s)

Allison Silverstein, MD, MS, MBA (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
University of Colorado School of Medicine

Author (not presenting)(s)

KC

Kathryn Cantrell, PhD, CCLS

Assistant Professor
Texas Woman's University

Presenting Author(s)

Michelle A. Fortier, PhD (she/her/hers)

Professor
University of California Irvine

Author (not presenting)(s)

KG

Karolina Grekov, MD

Assistant Professor
Stanford Healthcare

Presenting Author(s)

Julia McBee, CPNP (she/her/hers)

Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Author (not presenting)(s)

Alisha McGuire, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C (she/her/hers)

Pediatric Palliative Care Social Worker
Riley Children’s Health
MM

Maija Mikkelsen, MDiv, BCC

Staff Chaplain
Children's National Hospital

Disclosure(s):

Rachel A. Kentor, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose

Allison Silverstein, MD, MS, MBA: No financial relationships to disclose

Kathryn Cantrell, PhD, CCLS: No financial relationships to disclose

Michelle A. Fortier, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose

Karolina Grekov, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

Julia McBee, CPNP: No financial relationships to disclose

Alisha McGuire, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C: No financial relationships to disclose

Maija Mikkelsen, MDiv, BCC: No financial relationships to disclose

Key Message: The Pediatric State of the Science (PSOS) is a yearly presentation sponsored by the AAHPM Pediatric Council that highlights high-quality, high-impact articles in Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine from the preceding year. It is designed and presented by a collaborative, multidisciplinary group of pediatric palliative care clinicians.

Abstract: The Pediatric State of the Science (PSOS) is a recurring, yearly presentation designed by a collaborative, multidisciplinary group of pediatric clinicians who attempt to select and present a diverse offering of high-quality, high-impact articles in pediatric hospice and palliative care published between January 2025 and December 2025. Monthly meetings are scheduled with a group of pediatric clinicians who practice across the United States, including physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, chaplains, psychologists, and child life specialists. During these meetings, articles are presented and assigned to team members and then are evaluated based on their evidence quality, category of study, presence of interdisciplinary teamwork, clinical area of study, and the diversity of the population studied. After each article is reviewed, the interdisciplinary committee determines the subset of articles to be presented via a live and virtual meeting. The presenters then review the articles selected, design a presentation, and present the articles during the PSOS meeting. Each article summary is presented, followed by an opportunity for the publishing authors to answer any questions from the pediatric community.

References: Pending

Learning Objectives:

Participants will have a greater understanding of the vast breadth of research being accomplished in pediatric palliative and hospice care.
Participants will describe a fact, skill, or attitude they are reconsidering based on the presented literature.