The Power of Palliative Care

Southeast Georgia Health System recently featured our Palliative Care services in an article in its “Healthy Partners” publication. Palliative care helps with easing and managing the pain of patients facing serious illness; its goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. According to the article, palliative medicine has become the fastest-growing medical specialty in the United States, with 67 percent of U.S. hospitals with 50 or more beds now staffing palliative care teams. “Many physicians with a previous primary care practice have moved into palliative medicine to help make sure patients and families have the information they need to make very difficult decisions,” Dr. Shaner says. “The Palliative Care team coordinates with the patient’s attending physician to provide patients and families with extra support and the opportunity to discuss and establish the goals of care.” Read the full article here.