Datteln paediatric palliative care team doubly successful

What a wonderful success for the multi-professional paediatric palliative care team led by Prof. Dr Boris Zernikow, which has been working for 13 years at the Children's and Adolescents' Hospital to provide the best possible care for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. On behalf of the entire team, senior physician Dr Mandira Reuter, nursing ward manager Nicole Eickhoff and psychologist Andrea Beissenhirtz, accompanied by Sigrid Thiemann from the Freundeskreis Kinderpalliativzentrum Datteln e. V., were presented with an MSD Health Award and the Doc Esser Audience Award.

MSD is one of the world's largest research-based biopharmaceutical companies. With the MSD Health Award, it has been promoting innovative projects that contribute to improving patient care and have proven themselves in everyday practice since 2011. In this context, the Vestische Kinder- und Jugendklinik Datteln - Witten/Herdecke University has applied for this year's award with its project "First paediatric palliative care unit in Germany: deliberately launched - carefully evaluated - comprehensively certified - sustainably established". In Germany's first paediatric palliative care centre, children, adolescents and young adults with life-threatening/life-limiting illnesses and their families receive holistic care; physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects are given equal consideration. This is why not only doctors and nurses work at the children's palliative care centre, but also psychologists, therapists, psychosocial staff and therapy dogs.

University nominated twice

The Datteln project was among this year's nominees; ten projects were selected from 63 applicants. The FeverApp project at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H) also received a nomination. "Our entire team, which has been working passionately on this project for four years, is thrilled about this recognition! This significant recognition from a jury of experts helps us to further our mission of promoting the optimal management of fever," says FeverApp project manager Prof Dr David Martin.

"Just being nominated for this most important prize in the field of innovative care approaches was a great honour for us," says paediatric palliative care specialist Prof. Dr Boris Zernikow. "The fact that we have now actually won an MSD award and also the audience award fills us with great joy and pride. The award confirms that we are on the right track with our partnership-based commitment to families whose child is seriously ill; that our team-based approach and the constant support of our work by researchers from Witten/Herdecke University are paying off."

Appreciation also from the general public

In addition to the seven jury prizes, MSD once again presented an audience award this year. This was also awarded to the Datteln paediatric palliative care team, as its project received the most votes. "We are delighted that so many people gave us their vote. We see this as a great appreciation of our work and would like to thank each and every one of them. What touches us most of all: The good response shows the great solidarity with the families who are urgently seeking help with their sick child at the Children's Palliative Care Centre," says paediatric palliative care physician Zernikow.

An independent jury of experts headed by Prof. Dr Volker E. Amelung from Hannover Medical School selected the 10 nominated projects from more than 60 applications. "The fact that two projects from Witten/Herdecke University, the FeverApp by Prof. Dr David Martin and the Children's Palliative Care Centre by Prof. Dr Boris Zernikow, made it into the ten nominated projects demonstrates the innovative strength of our university," said a delighted President Prof. Dr Martin Butzlaff, adding: "I congratulate the staff at the Children's Palliative Care Centre on their well-deserved awards."