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 certification provides reassurance that their child’s discomfort receives dedicated attention.

A Family’s Journey Through Treatment

Ben Thomas received a diagnosis of kidney cancer at age five, enduring 10 months of intensive treatment before celebrating remission in the hospital’s oncology department. Tragically, the cancer returned when he was 11. Over the intervening five and a half years, the family has observed significant advancements in how the Stollery handles pain.

“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 culture of the hospital.”

Staff proactively apply numbing cream before every needle poke and offer clear explanations prior to procedures, easing the family’s burden. “Anything that we can do to minimize the pain makes my job easier to look after him, it makes him not so scared to come in, and it makes our conversations more light-hearted and less about the fears of different procedures,” Erica explained.

Even during major procedures where sedation posed risks due to Ben’s health, the team employed innovative methods to reduce both pain and anxiety. Ben’s most vivid recollection from one such experience involves debating the merits of Crocs versus Birkenstocks with an anesthesiologist, rather than focusing on discomfort.

Empowering Parents in Pain Care

These positive encounters inspired Erica to join the ChildKind Committee as a parent advisor, where she advocates for pain strategies that address both physical and emotional aspects. “Parents bring a different perspective,” she noted.

Ben now declines numbing cream, not due to ineffectiveness, but because its scent evokes distressing memories from his initial treatments. Hospital staff continue to offer it while honoring his preferences, demonstrating respect for individual experiences.

Comprehensive Training Across All Roles

The ChildKind accreditation mandates pain management training for every employee, from leadership to housekeeping and non-clinical support staff. “Our entire Stollery, from the leadership down to housekeeping, non-patient-facing services, all had to say pain matters to us,” said Angela Bokenfohr, clinical nurse specialist for pediatric trauma and surgery.

Bokenfohr emphasized the importance of vigilance in everyday interactions: “When I’m delivering a food tray and I see a kid in pain, that matters to me. I want to do something right here, right now.”

Unmanaged pain carries serious risks, including short-term increases in suffering and trauma. In the long term, it heightens the chances of chronic pain, heightened sensitivity, extended hospital stays, and even impacts on cognitive development, Bokenfohr warned.

The 3P Approach to Pain Relief

The hospital adopts the internationally endorsed “3P” framework for pain management: pharmacological interventions like medications, physical methods such as ice, heat, repositioning, splints, movement, and rest, and psychological techniques including distraction, comfort holds, reassurance, and emotional support. Teams typically integrate one element from each category to tailor care effectively.

Standard tools now include comfort holds, allowing children to be supported by trusted caregivers during procedures, and the Buzzy device, which uses vibration to disrupt pain signals. “These are simple things,” Bokenfohr said. “But they change everything.”

Only 23 hospitals worldwide hold ChildKind certification, which demands institutional dedication, uniform assessment protocols, staff-wide education—even for non-clinical roles—and ongoing quality enhancements. In Alberta, the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary and the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton also achieve this distinction.

Expert Perspectives on Lasting Impact

Dr. Tara McGrath, pediatric rheumatologist, pain medicine physician, and medical lead of the Stollery Chronic Pain Clinic, underscores the foundational role of pain management. “You have to manage pain,” she stated. “It’s not actually an add-on. This is actually underlying the entire health-care experience.”

Effective acute pain control can lower the risk of chronic issues later in life. Rather than eliminating all discomfort, the focus shifts to reshaping children’s perceptions of it. “There will be painful procedures and painful pieces of their medical journey,” McGrath acknowledged. “But we absolutely have the power to make them feel safe and validated and heard—both for the child and their family.”

While the certification marks a milestone, it also reveals opportunities for refinement. Current efforts aim to strengthen these practices ahead of future evaluations, ensuring sustained excellence in care.