Palliative Care

Palliative care has become a recent focal point in health care organizations across the country, as providers seek to balance the art and science of medicine while dealing with an aging population and the technological innovations of the 21st century.

A pilot project now under way at St. Joseph Hospital has a multi-disciplinary team comprised of a physician, nurse specialist, social worker, and chaplain. This team functions as a Palliative Care Consulting Service. The team's goal is to enhance the quality of life - spiritually, emotionally and physically - for those with life-limiting, chronic or debilitating illnesses and their loved ones.

This team works closely together with patients, loved ones and physicians to ensure continuity of care and addresses symptom control issues, including pain. Individualized treatment plans that emphasize quality of life are developed that adapt to a patient's rapidly changing medical condition. Communication is maintained with all caregivers to not only address medical concerns, but to also offer compassion and support. The palliative care consulting team also assists families and loved ones with questions on advanced directives such as health care proxy and resuscitation orders. In addition, bereavement services are offered.

As the pilot project progresses, it will continue to be monitored and evaluated for future implementation across the Catholic Health System, enhancing the quality and scope of care we provide to Western New York.