Description
Palliative care provides an inter-professional team approach to supporting patients and their families facing serious illness. Our primary goal is to improve quality of life and relieve stress by addressing physical, emotional, psychological, social, spiritual and cultural needs while providing an extra layer of support and communication. This is accomplished by learning the patient’s story, exploring their goals and values, assisting with medical decision making, developing individualized care plans, providing pain and symptom relief, and offering spiritual, cultural and psychosocial support. The palliative care team is a consulting service that works alongside the primary team to enhance communication and patient-centered care.
Our Team
Attending Physicians
We have a number of attending physicians rotating on service with backgrounds in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Family Medicine, Pulmonary Critical Care, Psychiatry, and Oncology.
Social Work
We have a full time Social Worker dedicated to the Palliative Care team. Palliative Care Social Work participates in family meetings and specializes in supporting patients and families through anticipatory grief as well as traumatic grief and loss.
Spiritual Care
We have a Harborview Chaplain dedicated to the Palliative Care team who specializes in supporting patients and families as they navigate the existential challenges that arise with serious illness.