With great enthusiasm, we are pleased to announce that palliative care services is now its own division: Division of Palliative Medicine.
Palliative care services has been part of the Division of Hospital Medicine for many years. The Palliative Care Service is a collaborative effort between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Launched in September 2005, it is the first comprehensive hospital-based palliative care program in Missouri. The service assists with pain and symptom management and addresses quality of life issues for patients and families coping with serious illness. Its mission is to improve symptom management and support the best quality of life for patients with life-limiting illness and their families through specialized, interdisciplinary clinical care, education, and research. The Palliative Care Team believes in treating the whole person, not just the disease. They focus on quality of life for each individual and the family they serve. They help patients and their caregivers clarify their goals in order to make the best possible choices.*
Dr. Patrick White, assistant professor of medicine, is the director for the Division of Palliative Medicine. We wish Dr. White, Dr. Dans, and the rest of the palliative care team the best of luck as they separate into the newly formed Division of Palliative Medicine.