GEORGE MARK CHILDREN’S HOUSE
George Mark Children’s House (GMCH) in San Leandro, California, is the first free-standing pediatric palliative care house in the United States. Founded in 2004, GMCH provides the comfort of home with the medical care of a top-notch hospital. GMCH exists to serve families with children who are chronically ill with a life-limiting illness and are seeking family-centered medical care that emphasizes quality of life in a compassionate, supportive atmosphere where kids can be kids and families can be families.
GMCH is a model for respite, transitional, end-of-life care, and bereavement support in a life-affirming setting. All services are based on the principles of pediatric palliative care, which aim to relieve suffering associated with life-limiting illnesses by providing comfort care, preserving the dignity and integrity of the child and family, and achieving the best quality of life possible. The organization’s vision is that all children with serious medical conditions and their families live with comfort, meaning, and joy.
Learn more in the 2023-2024 “By the Numbers” report here.
Kind Words from George Mark Children’s House on CHG’s Impact
“We are tremendously grateful for the generous support the Children’s Health Guild provides annually for George Mark Children’s House (GMCH). The impactful financial contribution provided by CHG allows us to serve pediatric patients, with life limiting illnesses, and their families at no cost to them during their most challenging times. With funding from CHG last year, we were able to expand our services to the whole family by 29 percent to provide compassionate palliative care in the Bay Area and beyond. We are deeply appreciative of the longstanding commitment of CHG to seriously ill children, teens, young adults, and their families at GMCH.”
- Shekinah Eliassen, CEO of George Mark Children’s House
