Palliative Care Services

Compassionate care for those with life-limiting illness.

To learn more, contact Palliative Care Services:
360-744-5618 or palliativecare@harrisonmedical.org

What is palliative care?
Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on relief of pain, symptoms, and stress of serious illness. Our goal is to help people live comfortably. We also strive to ease suffering and ensure quality of life for patients and their families.
Our Palliative Care Services team:

Gives compassionate care;
Expertly manages distressing symptoms of illness;
Clarifies treatment options;
Improves communication between patients and caregivers;
Assists with establishing advanced directives;
Supports patients and families through all stages of illness.

Is palliative care right for me?

Palliative care is best introduced early in the plan of care and can be coordinated with curative treatments. Palliative care may be appropriate for patients with the following conditions:

Advanced COPD
Cancer
Congestive heart failure
Dementia
HIV/AIDS
Multipe organ failure
Severe peripheral vascular disease
Severe trauma
Stroke, nervous system disease
Other life-limiting illness

Patients and families may face difficult decisions during a hospital stay for serious illness. Our Palliative Care Services team can help sort out treatment options, such as:

Chemotherapy and radiation
Surgery
Ventilator support
Feeding tubes
Place of treatment after discharge

How do I receive palliative care?

A palliative care consult is available to all patients admitted to Harrison Medical Center. While any patient can suggest a palliative care consult, an attending physician must write an order requesting the service.
Our Palliative Care Services team coordinates with a patient’s existing medical team, but does not replace the primary provider.

Beverly JeffsSteele, DO
Director, Palliative Care Services
"Our patients and their loved ones face a difficult journey. We take the time to listen to their concerns. We also help them understand their options so they can make the best choices for what is important to them."

Nancy Lorber, RN, OCN
Coordinator, Palliative Care Services
"We want to support patients and their families who are facing serious illness. Our goal is to address the needs of the whole person: their physical comfort, their emotional and spiritual well-being, and their dignity."