A Global Model for Innovative Clinician-Family Partnerships in Neonatal Care
August 12th, 2025
Family-centered care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is an approach to promoting parental participation in the plan and delivery of care for their infant. It is based on information sharing and education, encouraging family participation, and creating a partnership between the family and the healthcare team. Previous research and lived experiences of NICU parents indicate that FCC practices improve outcomes for both infants and parents. Despite the proven benefits of the FCC approach to care, often NICUs fail to implement FCC practices. In this presentation, Dr. Balasundaram and Morgan will share insights from both local initiatives and the global efforts of the FCC Taskforce. They will highlight a global model for transformative family inclusion in NICU care and emphasize the critical role of clinician-family partnerships in driving meaningful and sustainable change within health system.
Malathi Balasundaram, MD
Dr. Balasundaram is a Clinical Professor at Stanford University and the Founder of the Family-Centered Care Taskforce. She serves as the Chair of the El Camino Health NICU Family-Centered Care Committee, where she leads multiple subcommittees focused on advancing neonatal quality improvement through direct collaboration with families. Driven by a deep commitment to delivering safe, high-quality, and family-integrated neonatal care, Dr. Balasundaram's efforts extend beyond her local NICU. In 2022, she founded the International NICU Family-Centered Care Taskforce, which has grown to over 2,500 global members, including multidisciplinary clinicians, and family partners. The Taskforce is dedicated to developing educational resources and evidence-based guidelines to implement family-centered care (FCC) through quality improvement methods across diverse neonatal settings.
Morgan Kowalski
Morgan is Program Manager of the Family-Centered Care Taskforce and parent of Thomas, a micropreemie born at 25+1 (15 weeks before due date) weighing 1 lbs. 11 Oz who is now thriving 7 years old. She uses her family's long NICU journey (115 days) to advocate for and improve family-centered care practices in the NICU by sharing her lived experience and collaborating with multidisciplinary healthcare professionals in quality improvement, policy, and safety initiatives. Morgan is the Family Liaison for the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Hospital Care and a member of their Family Partnership Network. She is a Quality Improvement Family Advisor at the NICU where her son was inpatient and is part of their Optimizing Neurodevelopment for Infants with Broncho Pulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) project through the Vermont Oxford Network. She is a Parent Family partner with the New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative.
