Good Samaritan now offers dedicated Palliative Care team
Two physician specialists, a dedicated nurse and Palliative Care social worker have assembled to comprise Good Samaritan’s newly expanded Palliative Care program, caring for patients with difficult diagnoses through specialized symptom management, patient and family support, and by prioritizing patients’ quality of life and experience.
But even with all the clear benefits, many struggle to define what Palliative Care is and when to ask for it.
“For me, Palliative Care is truth telling,” said Sonny Miles, MD, Hospice & Palliative Medicine and interim site lead for the program. “It’s being present for the emotional response to difficult health news and the depleting, sometimes grueling treatments that can follow.”
Miles worked as a hospitalist, but wanted to be able to give more time and space to the patients who needed longer conversations to be able to fully understand the risks and benefits of treatments offered, and to help align their values with their medical care.
“Palliative Care is a relational specialty that allows us to build relationships with our patients and their families over multiple hospitalizations, sometimes months to years. We sink into the conversations our patients need to have in order to make sure they can live their best lives today and in the time they have left,” she said.
Nadia Khosrodad, MD, Hospice & Palliative Medicine, speaks about her specialty with the same reverence. After working as an ICU nurse in Calgary, Canada, followed by medical school, an IM residency and geriatrics fellowship, she followed her clinical passion toward Hospice & Palliative Care.
“Our team provides a service that is authentic and empathetic. We clarify for patients their medical options and what life may look like depending on the path they choose. We ensure their wishes and their vision for how they want their bodies to be treated are honored throughout their medical journey.”
When considering a consult, Miles and Khosrodad want you to remember Palliative Care is appropriate for any age, any stage. Ideally, right at the time of diagnosis for any life-altering or life-limiting illness.
Nancy Garland, LCSW, and Abby Kaplan, RN, round out the Palliative Care team at Good Samaritan. Together, they:
Offer care to help alleviate symptoms, either from a patient’s disease or treatment, that include but are not limited to pain, nausea, fatigue, depression, anxiety, insomnia, shortness of breath and more.
Help manage medically complicated patients, such as those with serious or chronic illnesses, as well as older patients with multiple medical needs and specialists.
Navigate patients and families through multilayered care plans and a web of available resources that can be complex.
Help patients and families manage their grief over their loss of function or independence, or the news their lifespans might be limited.
Facilitate the patients’ transition to Hospice at the optimal time, when they and their families can benefit most from end-of-life care and support.
“We need to talk about dying early with our patients, so they can choose how they want to live,” said Miles. “The evidence is clear: Talking about the reality of a patient’s limited time improves that patient’s quality of life.”
“We meet patients and their families in the hardest times of their lives,” said Khosrodad, “and it’s a privilege to provide medical care and clarity from within the space of profound humanity.”
Physicians can contact Miles or Khosrodad anytime with questions about Palliative Care. Consults can be ordered via Epic or by calling extension 44104.