The UI Supportive and Palliative Care Service provides care for patients and families who face life-threatening illnesses.
This service offers pain and symptom management, support in dealing with emotional stress and social issues, and spiritual support. The overall goal of palliative care is to improve your quality of life while you are ill and can be provided at a hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility or at your home.
Palliative care is provided by a team, including a palliative doctor, nurses and other professionals. The team works with the patient's primary medical doctor to provide both inpatient consultant service and outpatient clinical service.
About the Program
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is defined as "relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder." Many people mistakenly believe this means you receive palliative care only when you can't be cured. Actually, palliative medicine can be provided by one doctor while other doctors work with you to try to cure your illness. Palliative care is for people of any age, and at any stage in an illness, whether that illness is curable, chronic or life-threatening. In fact, palliative care may actually help you recover from your illness by relieving symptoms such as pain, anxiety or loss of appetite, as you undergo sometimes-difficult medical treatments or procedures, such as surgery or chemotherapy.
Goals of Palliative Care
The overall goal of palliative care is to improve your quality of life while you are ill, and can be provided at a hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility or at your home. Palliative care is provided by a team, including a palliative doctor, nurses and other professionals. The palliative team:
- Provides relief from pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.
- Assists you in making difficult medical decisions.
- Coordinates care with your other doctors and helps you navigate the often-complex health care system.
- Guides you in making a plan for living well, based on your needs, concerns and goals for care.
- Provides you and your loved ones emotional and spiritual support and guidance.
Hospice Care
There is a specific type of palliative care - called hospice - for people for whom a cure is no longer possible and who likely have six months or less to live. Hospice care can be provided at your home, at a hospice facility, a hospital or a nursing home. Hospice care is about giving you control, dignity and comfort so you have the best possible quality of life during the time you have. Hospice care also provides support and grief therapy for your loved ones.
Palliative Care Providers
Palliative care providers are specially trained in palliative medicine. They may provide palliative medicine through a hospital, through a hospice program or both, and head up a team of medical and non-medical professionals and volunteers who provide palliative care.
Our People
Program Leadership
Administrative Support
General Internal Medicine
Supportive & Palliative Care
General Internal Medicine
Supportive & Palliative Care
Patient Care
Compassionate care for patients and families living with a serious or life-threatening illness.
Education
We provide clinical knowledge and judgment, professionalism, interpersonal skills, and abilities necessary to become a leader in hospice and palliative medicine
Contact Us
News
Advocating for clearer end-of-life decision-making in Iowa
Faculty recognized by medical students
Winners of the inaugural ICVA Chief of Staff Awards announced
Wilde uses pilot grant to explore impact of touch in patient care
Hagiwara to develop combined curriculum for geriatrics and palliative care
Why Iowa
Our interdisciplinary program provides a focus on learning in a vibrant, safe and comfortable living environment.
Experienced Interdisciplinary Teams
Our interdisciplinary teams works in 3 different sites to provide comprehensive hospice and palliative care. The team members include:
- Social worker
- Music therapists
- Chaplains
- Nurse practitioners
- Pharmacist
- Physicians
Faculty with Broad Interests
Although Palliative Medicine is administratively housed in Internal Medicine, there are 7 specialties represented on our faculty: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Vascular Surgery, Critical Care, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, and Cardiology. In addition we also have the expertise of an ethicist, and the presence of these clinicians provides an environment for robust training. Different points of view from clinician team members are encouraged as they promote creative thinking and problem-solving.
Focus on Learning
Consults are provided throughout the medical center. In addition to goal clarification the consults may address symptom management; emotional, psychological or spiritual distress; decision-making and advance care planning; cessation of life-prolonging therapy, or potential hospice enrollment. On average the fellow takes 1-2 new patients daily and makes 3-5 follow up visits on patients seen at initial consultation.
Treat the Patient, Treat the System
In addition to providing care for patients, we expect fellows to "treat the system" by selecting one system-focused quality improvement project for the year. These projects can enhance patients' quality of care for years to come, and for the fellow may potentially develop into a lifetime academic focus.
Our City
The Iowa City/Coralville area provides a vibrant assortment of attractions and events. With an abundance of museums, festivals, theaters, and sports/wellness/recreational activities, Iowa City offers a lively culture, but also a safe and comfortable living environment.