EPEC (Education in Palliative and End-of-life Care) – Pediatrics was initially funded 2010-2017 by a grant from the US National Institute of Health/National Cancer Institute. In July 2025 we received another US$ 1.6 million grant by the National Cancer Institute for “Phase 2”:
EPEC-Pediatrics has become the most comprehensive pediatric palliative care (PPC) curriculum and dissemination project world-wide. To date 2,425 clinicians from 126 countries/territories from all 6 continents have undergone our training.
The EPEC-Pediatrics curriculum features state-of-the-art training in the skills required to address key domains of pediatric palliative care, including advanced pain and symptom management. The program is designed to give pediatric healthcare professionals (incl. physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, psychologists etc.) the knowledge and skills needed to provide excellent palliative care to patients and their families.
Upcoming Conferences:
EPEC-Pediatrics Pain & Palliative Care Workshop (Level 1): Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC)-Pediatrics. Maruzza Foundation. Scout Center, Rome, Italy. November 3-6, 2025 https://www.maruzza.org/epecpediatrics-rome
16th Pediatric Pain Master Class. Saturday, January 24 – Friday, January 30, 2026. Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF. San Francisco, California, United States. Information & Registration: https://virtualce.ucsf.edu/pediatric-pain-master-class-2026
33rd Become an EPEC-Pediatrics Trainer (level 2) plus optional Professional Development Workshop (level 3). Albuquerque, NM, USA. March 24-27, 2026. Contact: EPEC.Pediatrics@ucsf.edu
EPEC-Pediatrics Palliative Care Symposium (level 1) and 34th Become an EPEC-Pediatrics Trainer (level 2). Prague, Czech Republic. May 17-21, 2026. Contact: EPEC.Pediatrics@ucsf.edu
Publications:
Friedrichsdorf, S. J., S. Remke, J. Hauser, L. Foster, A. Postier, A. Kolste, and J. Wolfe. “Development of a Pediatric Palliative Care Curriculum and Dissemination Model: Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC) Pediatrics.” J Pain Symptom Manage 58, no. 4 (Oct 2019): 707-20 e3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31220594.
McNeil, M. J., B. Ehrlich, T. Yakimkova, H. Wang, V. Mishkova, Z. Bezler, E. Kumirova, et al. “Regional Adaptation of the Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care Pediatrics (Epec-Pediatrics) Curriculum in Eurasia.” Cancer Med 12, no. 3 (Feb 2023): 3657-69. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36073348.
Postier, A. C., J. Wolfe, J. Hauser, S. S. Remke, J. N. Baker, A. Kolste, V. Dussel, et al. “Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care-Pediatrics: Curriculum Use and Dissemination.” J Pain Symptom Manage 63, no. 3 (Mar 2022): 349-58. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34896279.
Widger, K., J. Wolfe, S. Friedrichsdorf, J. D. Pole, S. Brennenstuhl, S. Liben, M. Greenberg, et al. “National Impact of the Epec-Pediatrics Enhanced Train-the-Trainer Model for Delivering Education on Pediatric Palliative Care.” J Palliat Med 21, no. 9 (Sep 2018): 1249-56. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29782212.
Aburn DG, Moeke-Maxwell DT, Gott PM, Drake DR, Raphael DD. Developing and adapting the Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC)-Pediatrics curriculum for Aotearoa (New Zealand). J Pain Symptom Manage. Jul 12 2025 https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(25)00710-9/fulltext
