Foundation Addresses Critical Need For Palliative Care Workforce And Leadership Development

Philanthropy has provided critical funding for the advancement of palliative care in the United States, complementing support from health systems for clinical services and the federal government for research. To catalyze palliative care leadership development, the Cambia Health Foundation, located in Portland, Oregon, developed the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program, which promotes the next generation of palliative care leaders by investing in their projects and professional development and providing peer and mentor support. People are living longer than in previous generations. In the United States, there will be roughly 83.7 million people age sixty-five and older by 2050. Many people in this age group will live for years with serious illness. The goal of living well with serious illness will create greater demand and need for palliative care. Palliative care is patient- and family-centered care focused on improving quality of life for people living with serious illness. It addresses physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs of people while helping them to make treatment choices consistent with their values. In tandem with other clinicians, an interdisciplinary palliative care team—consisting of trained physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other specialists—works together to provide seriously ill patients and their families with an extra layer of support. Over the past four decades, awareness of and access to palliative care have increased. Accordi...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: GrantWatch Health Professionals Hospitals Organization and Delivery Quality Access Aging Cambia Health Foundation Center to Advance Palliative Care Chronic Care End-of-Life Care Health Care Delivery Health Philanthropy Nurses P Source Type: blogs