The Stollery Children’s Hospital stands as a global leader in pediatric pain management, earning recognition from ChildKind International for its comprehensive approach to assessing, treating, and managing pain in young patients. For families like that of Ben Thomas, this commitment ensures that their child’s discomfort receives dedicated attention during challenging medical journeys.
A Family’s Journey with Compassionate Care
Ben Thomas faced kidney cancer at age five, enduring 10 months of treatment before celebrating remission with the oncology department’s bell-ringing ceremony. Tragically, the disease returned when he was 11. Over the intervening five and a half years, the hospital’s pain management strategies have evolved significantly, providing reassurance to parents. “As a parent, nobody likes to see their kid in pain,” said Erica Thomas, Ben’s mother. “Treating and managing pain is ingrained in the hospital’s culture.”
Staff proactively apply measures such as numbing cream before every needle poke and detailed explanations prior to procedures. These steps help ease fears and foster more positive interactions. “Anything we can do to minimize the pain makes my job easier, reduces his anxiety about visits, and allows our conversations to focus less on procedure-related fears,” Erica explained.
Even during major procedures where sedation wasn’t possible due to Ben’s health, the team employed innovative techniques to alleviate both pain and anxiety. Ben recalls one such experience not for discomfort, but for a lighthearted debate with an anesthesiologist about Crocs versus Birkenstocks. These supportive encounters inspired Erica to join the ChildKind Committee as a parent advisor, emphasizing the need to address both physical and emotional aspects of pain. “Parents bring a different perspective,” she noted. For instance, Ben now declines numbing cream because its scent evokes past treatments, and staff respect his preference while still offering it.
Institutional Commitment to Pain Management
The ChildKind certification mandates training for every hospital employee, from leadership to housekeeping, ensuring pain awareness permeates all levels. “Our entire team, including non-patient-facing roles, commits to the principle that pain matters,” stated Angela Bokenfohr, clinical nurse specialist for pediatric trauma and surgery. “If I notice a child in distress while delivering a food tray, I act immediately to help.”
Unmanaged pain carries serious risks, including heightened short-term suffering and trauma. In the long term, it elevates chances of chronic pain, increased sensitivity, extended hospital stays, and potential impacts on cognitive development, Bokenfohr warned.
The hospital adopts the internationally endorsed “3P” framework for pain relief: pharmacological interventions like medications, physical methods such as ice, heat, repositioning, splints, movement, and rest, plus psychological supports including distraction, comfort holds, reassurance, and emotional care. Staff tailor combinations of these elements to each patient’s needs. Standard tools now include comfort holds—where trusted caregivers embrace children during procedures—and the Buzzy device, which uses vibration to disrupt pain signals. “These are simple interventions, but they transform the experience,” Bokenfohr said.
Only 23 hospitals worldwide hold ChildKind certification, which demands institutional dedication, uniform assessment protocols, staff-wide education, and ongoing improvements. In Alberta, the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary and the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton also achieve this standard.
Expert Perspectives on Lasting Impact
Dr. Tara McGrath, pediatric rheumatologist, pain medicine physician, and medical lead of the Stollery Chronic Pain Clinic, underscores the essential role of pain management. “You must address pain—it’s foundational to the entire health-care experience, not an optional add-on,” she asserted. Effective acute pain control can prevent chronic issues later in life, she added, focusing not on eliminating all discomfort but on reshaping children’s perceptions of it.
“Painful procedures are part of many medical paths, but we can empower children and families to feel safe, validated, and heard,” McGrath explained. The certification process revealed opportunities for enhancement, and the hospital is actively refining practices to excel in future evaluations.
