Who are we?
The Pediatric Association for Comfort and Trust, Switzerland (PACTS) is a professional organization dedicated to improving the quality of care for children in medical environments. Founded with the mission to ensure that every child’s experience in healthcare is as positive, comfortable, and supportive as possible, PACTS brings together experts from diverse fields, including pediatric acute and chronic care practitionners, psychologsts, child life specialists, and pain management.
PACTS focuses on reducing the physical and emotional distress children often face during medical treatments. By fostering collaboration among healthcare professionals and caregivers, the association promotes research and best practices in areas such as pain management, fear reduction, and effective communication with children and families. The association’s work is centered on the belief that comfort and trust are essential components of the healing process, allowing children to feel safe and supported in what can otherwise be a frightening and overwhelming experience.
PACTS is also deeply committed to education and training, offering conferences, workshops, and resources for professionals working in pediatric care. These events provide opportunities for sharing knowledge, learning new techniques, and discussing the latest advancements in pediatric healthcare.
Through its advocacy and outreach, PACTS strives to raise awareness about the importance of pediatric comfort and trust in healthcare settings. By empowering both healthcare providers and families, the association works to ensure that children receive the compassionate, patient-centered care they deserve, creating a foundation for healing that goes beyond physical treatment alone.
PACTS Board
Cyril Sahyoun is an attending physician at the Children’s Hospital of Geneva. He attended medical school at Georgetown University, Residency at Columbia University’s Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian and Fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he developed clinical expertise in procedural sedation, anxiolysis and analgesia. After returning as an attending physician at his alma matter in New York to head Medical Student Education efforts in the Pediatric Emergency Department, Cyril Sahyoun moved to Switzerland, where he is boosting the field of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Procedural Sedation and Analgesia.
Gabriel Brändle is a pediatric emergency doctor with training in hypnosis and a passion for non-pharmacological pain and anxiety management. Trained in Geneva, he used to be head of the pediatric emergency unit at a private clinic in Geneva and is now co-head of the pediatric department of Nyon’s Hospital.