Facts at a Glance

Description of Program: Established in 2000, Community PedsCare is a pediatric palliative and hospice program for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. A program of Community Hospice of Northeast Florida in collaboration with Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Nemours Children’s Clinic and University of Florida-Jacksonville, Community PedsCare offers support, comfort and care to these children and their families.

Mailing Address: 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257

Patient Referral Line: 904.407.6505 

Eligibility for Service: The program is available to children (age 0-21) with a life-limiting and life-threatening illness, disease or injury who may benefit from palliative or hospice care. Patients may be referred to Community PedsCare by physicians, nurses, social workers, clergy, health professionals, parents, legal guardians or family members. All referrals must be approved by the patient’s primary care physician and accepted by the parent. 

Definitions of Care: Children in palliative care have life-threatening conditions, but may be seeking curative treatment or other services. Hospice care is designed for children with a life-expectancy of six months or less who have forgone curative treatment.

Levels of Service: After referral, the Community PedsCare staff will schedule a meeting with the family, either at home or in the hospital, to determine the level of support. These include: 
      • Palliative and hospice home visits by physicians, nurses, social service generalists, child life specialist, spiritual counselor and volunteer
      • Inpatient hospice care, available at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Jacksonville
      • Hospice and palliative consultations at homes and hospitals in the Northeast Florida area
      • Medical supplies for palliative patients who have no other provision or payor source
      • Durable medical equipment and medications for hospice patients
      • Grief and bereavement support and counseling to the sick child and their family members
      • Counseling to the sick child’s teachers and classmates

Payment: Medicaid or private insurance often will cover hospice care and some palliative care services. However, families are never denied access because of inability to pay. The vast majority of Community PedsCare services are not reimbursed by insurance and are provided without charge to patients’ families. Charitable gifts to Community Hospice Foundation provide vital funding for this care. Additional funding from Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Nemours Children’s Clinic and University of Florida-Jacksonville enables Community PedsCare to provide seamless care from the outpatient to inpatient setting when and where children and families need it most.