St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care Announces Partnership

St. Francis Reflections is the state’s only provider of choice for PIC:TFK in Brevard county 

St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care announces their recent selection as the state’s only provider of choice for Partnership with Partners in Care: Together for Kids in Brevard County. PIC:TFK is offered by the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Florida Department of Health, and the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association. The program relies on partnerships between state-employed care coordinators who identify children for possible enrollment and palliative care staff who provide home and community-based services.

“At the heart of our mission is a commitment to uplifting lives in our community. As Brevard’s only dedicated pediatric palliative care team, we are privileged to provide specialized care and services for the seriously ill children of Brevard County,” said Lauren Loftis, Chief Medical Officer for St. Francis Reflections.

The Pediatric Palliative Care Team at St. Francis Reflections provides care for pediatric patients with life-limiting conditions and adds an extra layer of support for the children and their families. The program is supported by expert physicians, child life specialists and registered nurse case managers. Together, their goal is to create a better quality of life for pediatric patients, their families, and the community-at-large. The multidisciplinary team delivers complex care to help kids feel better and live more fully.

“It is my greatest honor to enhance quality of life by providing comfort, coping skills, and education using play and support through a developmentally appropriate lens for children living with serious illness (and their families). To allow ‘kids to be kids’ and to be a ‘kid helper’ is a treasured privilege,” said Kathryn Sparger, Certified Child Life Specialist for St. Francis Reflections. “I am so proud to work alongside our specialized pediatric palliative team to uplift lives and provide sincere patient and family centered care.”

The St. Francis Reflections pediatric scope of services also includes a child grief program called NorthStar. Child grief specialists provide a safe and welcoming space for children to express their grief through peer support groups. Providing support to children, along with their families, the team encourages children to express their grief and emotions. The specially trained staff utilizes a variety of techniques and skills through play, stories, and peer interactions to help children.

Child Grief Specialists provide support both on-site and online. Specialists can also be available to provide support in the school setting through coordination with school personnel. The St. Francis Reflections NorthStar program is exclusively dedicated to grieving children and is open to any child in Brevard County.

About St. Francis Reflections

St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care was founded in 1977 and licensed in 1990. St. Francis is Brevard's longest-serving, not-for-profit, independent, interfaith provider of hospice, palliative care, pediatric palliative care and grief support services. For more information about St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care, please visit ReflectionsLSC.org, call (866) 269-4240, or on Facebook @StFrancisReflections.