Supervising Attending:
- Dr. Mary Callahan
Description:
The elective week in Palliative Care residents will spend with the Palliative Care Department. During your rotation, you will have the opportunity to care for patients with serious and life-threatening illnesses. You will serve as part of the palliative care team made up of an attending physician, advanced practice nurse, social worker, and chaplain. Communication skills to clarify goals of care and provide expert level pain and symptom management will be emphasized. The elective is structured to provide exposure mainly to palliative care in the acute, inpatient setting. You will also have one 1/2 day during the rotation to see patients in the outpatient setting with Dr. Callahan.
Objectives:
- Describe the role of palliative medicine and the interdisciplinary team in the treatment of patients with advanced illnesses of all kinds, including cancer, cardiac, pulmonary, renal and neurological diseases.
- Assess and manage pain and non-pain symptoms, including nausea, dyspnea and depression, in a competent manner.
- Demonstrate how to communicate effectively and empathically with patients regarding their illness their symptoms, and advance care planning, especially code status.
- Describe how to conduct an effective goals of care / family meeting.
- Discuss the importance of emotional, spiritual, social and cultural issues in caring for patients with advanced illnesses
- Describe the hospice benefit and what it offers patients and families.
Requirements:
- Join the inpatient team daily, perform new consultations under the supervision of the attending
- Follow your patients throughout your week
- Join outpatient clinic and see a minimum of one new and one follow-up patient
Schedule:
- Contact Dr. Callahan via email the day before you start to get the starting to get rounding time/location for your first day and schedule for the week
Location:
Milstein Hospital
Contacts:
- Dr. Mary Callahan
Updated June 2024