Children’s National Hospital announces new pain management center to help children and their families reclaim their lives from chronic pain

Children’s National Hospital today announced an $8.895 million investment from the Blue Pebble Foundation, founded and funded by Hossein Fateh, CEO of CloudHQ, Cloud Capital and Dalian Development, to create an interdisciplinary pain management center to support children and adolescents experiencing acute and chronic pain.

“We are deeply grateful for the generosity and vision of the Fateh family,” said Michelle Riley-Brown, MHA, FACHE, President and CEO of Children’s National. “The impact of their philanthropy will help us create a place where children in pain are met with coordinated, welcoming and holistic care to help them heal and thrive.” 

The Children’s National Fateh Center for Pain Management will unify an interdisciplinary team to resolve complex challenges with pediatric pain management with a clinical, research and educational approach:

• Clinical care will combine physical and occupational therapy, psychology, pain procedures, nutrition, family support, and child life support like art or music therapy. It will include outpatient services and a referral-based, 6-week intensive rehabilitation track.
• Research will evaluate the long-term impact of the program and work towards establishing standards of care for pediatric pain to shape the field and guide other emerging centers.
• Education and training will help the team remain up to date on the latest practices and methods to deliver collaborative, whole-child pain care.

“My daughter struggled with debilitating pain until she was able to access a comprehensive and multidisciplinary pain management program,” said Hossein Fateh, a father of three and the founder and director of the Blue Pebble Foundation. “I am establishing this center with Children’s National to ensure families across the Mid-Atlantic region can have access to expert pain management care.” 

Children’s National is leading a nationwide search for a director for the center with expertise in pediatric anesthesiology, neurology, or psychology and experience in pain management. The director will be supported by an integrated team with expertise in areas such as neurology; pain management; behavioral, occupational and physical therapy; nursing; nutrition; and more.

“Our goal is to help children overcome pain that gets in the way of daily life,” said Elizabeth Wells, MD, MHS, the executive vice president, chief clinical officer and physician-in-chief of Children’s National. “By bringing together care in one place, we also aim to create a more effective, efficient and less stressful experience for families.”

The center is under development with the leadership of Anthony Sandler, MD, senior vice president and surgeon-in-chief of the Joseph E. Robert Jr., Center for Surgical Care at Children’s National, Brad Taicher, DO, MBA, chief of the Division of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, and Randi Streisand, PhD, chief of the Division of Psychology and Behavioral Health. 

It is set to open in late 2027 in Rockville, Md.