Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Akron Children's Hospital
Attn: Palliative Care
One Perkins Square
Akron
OHUSA
44308-1063
Email:
mfarrar-laco@chmca.org
Biographical Sketch: Margaret Farrar Laco, RN, MSN, CPCP-AC/PC is a pediatric clinical nurse practitioner at The Haslinger Family Pediatric Palliative Care Center at Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio. She has been a registered nurse for 15 years and a pediatric nurse practitioner for 6 years. Prior to joining the Palette of Care Team, she worked at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in the Brain Tumor Institute as a nurse practitioner and at Akron Children’s Pediatric ICU as a bedside RN.
In addition to her inpatient, outpatient and community care clinical responsibilities, Margaret provides extensive education in multiple arenas. Locally, Margaret directs a quarterly Lunch and Learn Series to bring pediatric specific education to traditionally adult-focused homecare, hospice and palliative care agencies to expand services available to the pediatric population. She is also a section leader for the Pediatric Palliative Care Curriculum series for resident education in the area of medically provided nutrition and hydration as well as symptom management. Margaret is a clinical preceptor and guest faculty for The University of Akron pediatric nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist track. She is an ELNEC trainer.
Margaret, along with Dr. Sarah Friebert, serves as faculty for the Center to Advance Palliative Care Pediatric Palliative Care Learning Center at Akron Children’s Hospital. She is a member of the CAPC pediatric curriculum team. Margaret has presented at many national conferences including the National Hospice and Palliative Care Clinical Team Conference, National Institute for Children’s Healthcare Quality Conference, The CAPC National Seminar and The Building Bridges National Forum. She has also presented at regional conferences including the Ohio Pediatric Palliative Care and End of Life Network Conference, the Akron Children’s Hospital Annual Nursing Conference and the Cleveland Clinic Innovations in Neuroscience Nursing Annual Conference.
Margaret’s primary clinical focus encompasses children and young adults with chronic and complex illnesses including intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, static and progressive neurological disorders, chronic kidney disease and cystic fibrosis.