Palliative Care

Saint Francis Medical Center has a special program to help seriously ill patients: the Palliative Care Program. Palliative care is a type of medical care aimed at relieving suffering and improving the quality of life for people with a life-altering illness.

This type of care is appropriate for any patient who has been diagnosed with a chronic or life-limiting illness, at any age or stage of illness. Palliative care is not associated with any specifi c prognosis or life expectancy. Palliative care is not necessarily end of life care, or hospice care – it is supportive care.

A hospitalized patient at the Medical Center must be referred to the program by an attending physician, who will continue to manage the patient’s plan of care. The program will be free of charge to the patient.

Led by Kennett D. Asher, DO, CMD, medical director, the Palliative Care Program takes a team-based approach to controlling symptoms, managing pain and providing comfort for chronically or terminally ill patients, as well as their families. The program’s physicians, nurses, chaplains and other compassionate caregivers help with:

• Guiding patients through the disease process
• Discussing treatment options, choices, plans and goals
• Addressing all symptoms, including pain relief and emotional and spiritual needs
• Allowing patients to freely share their quality-of-life or end-of-life thoughts, feelings and wishes
• Encouraging patients to discuss any other concerns
• Establishing advance care directives and durable power of attorney, if appropriate
• Setting up home health or hospice care, if needed

If you have interest in the program on behalf of a patient or if you have any questions, please contact Tammy Hahn-Brown, MSN, RN, ONC, CS-ANP, nurse practitioner and Palliative Care Program coordinator, at 573-331-5465.