Plenary Speaker – 23rd Annual Symposium on Clinical & Pharmaceutical Solutions through Analysis (CPSA USA 2020)
Athena Zuppa, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
“You know by blood volume alone… you can’t approach certain studies.” – Athena Zuppa, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Athena presents a passionate plenary talk, discussing may of the aspects related to caring for extremely sick children. Clinical Coordinators and Assistants are faced with real world challenges, Everyday – with each day being different. Each day, they have to bring their A-game, working in community and unison, applying true empathy and altruism while interacting with the children and their parents. Of the many complexities discussed, they need to balance decisions based on the clinical and research community – often being faced with several treatment options and what is best for a particular situation. As well, Athena and her teams are on the frontline for discussions with the parents about their sick child – diagnosis, consent, and progress – a challenging balance of information that needs to be delivered with care. A dance Everyday, that is not scripted, balancing prioritizations, while making real time decisions, and speaking to the parents of very sick children.