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Our Services

The Marjorie E. Korff PACT Program offers parenting consultations to adults with cancer receiving treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, who are concerned about the impact their cancer diagnosis and treatment may have on their children.

We work together with parents, drawing on our combined knowledge and experience to develop a plan for parents to support children's continued healthy development.

We help parents feel better prepared to talk with children, help them cope, and recognize signs that more help is needed.

Your PACT visit

  • Consultations are scheduled Monday through Friday, usually over the phone or with a videocall so you will not need to travel to the hospital.
  • We pride ourselves on responding quickly to requests for consults. We check email and voicemail frequently Monday through Friday, and respond to messages within a business day. 
  • If you have questions that can’t wait, let us know—we can often offer a consultation the same day, or the day after you contact us. 
  • The first conversation usually lasts about an hour and, together, parents and clinicians decide when follow-up makes sense.

Eligibility

The PACT Program serves adults receiving care in the Mass General Cancer Center—inpatient or outpatient, at any stage of illness— who are caring for children from infants to young adults. With permission from the patient, we are also available to adult family members who would like to talk with us, often a spouse, partner, grandparent or sibling. We do not meet directly with children.

Thanks to generous donor support, there is no charge to patients for the service and your insurance will not be billed.

Trained hospital interpreters are available to assist conversations with parents who speak languages other than English.

Schedule An Appointment

What if I am not a patient at Massachusetts General Hospital?

Due to the limitations of our clinical time, our team cannot offer consultations to patients who are not receiving care at MGH. 

We wish that every cancer center had a program like the Marjorie E. Korff PACT Program. Even without such a program, it is likely that there are clinicians in your area who may be able to help. Ask about the social service supports in your community and at your treatment center. You may find the "For Parents" section of our website helpful, as well as our book Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child When a Parent Is Sick.