Palliative Care
“Palliative Care is no longer something that’s ‘nice’ to have.
It’s a HAVE to have.”
(Arif Kamal, MD, MBA, MHS, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO - Chief Patient Officer for the American Cancer Society, Oncologist, Palliative Care Physician, associate professor of Medicine and Population Health at Duke University School of Medicine)
Palliative care, and the physician medical specialty of Palliative Medicine, is specialized medical care that provides relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve the quality of life for the patient and family.
Palliative care is provided by a team of specialists, including palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual care, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.
Sedlacek, A., Mollman, S., Snyders, M., & Gierach, M. (2024). The state of palliative care in South Dakota. South Dakota Medicine. Nov. 2024.