The Community Memorial Hospital Palliative Care Department is proud to announce it is celebrating 10 years of service to the community this year, offering a much-needed service to patients in the hospital and local outpatients as well.
CMH began Palliative Care services in 2008 with the goal of improving patient and family participation in decisions regarding treatment options and goals of care.
Palliative Care is a special healthcare service that aims to relieve suffering and improve a person’s quality of life while maintaining their dignity. It’s not the same as Hospice, which focuses on end-of-life care for those no longer seeking treatment for a terminal illness. Palliative Care can be provided at the same time as other curative treatments and may begin early in the course of a serious or chronic illness.
A key achievement is providing Palliative Care services not only at CMH but on an outpatient basis, too. This medical service includes symptom management, goals of care discussions, completion of advance care documents, education about long-term care options, and supportive needs assessment.
The team members are involved in local, regional and national projects and organizations, and they are committed to teaching others like nurses, medical residents and social workers who will carry on this important work.
Most of the 11 team members are nationally board-certified in their respective fields to maintain quality outcomes. The CMH Palliative Care Department can be reached at 667-7975. Visit cmhshealth.org.
