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CAPC Palliative Care Discussion Forum
Designing a Program
Designing a Palliative Care Unit for a HospitalAuthor: angel64644
Date: Jan 8, 2009 3:40 pm
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Sounds like your palliative care program has taken hold and you are ready to take the next step with adding a unit. I don't know of a reference that would include policies and procedures, likely because of the differences in hospitals and palliative care units ( some include hospice, others do not). Several of the PCLCs (Mount Carmel and VCU) include dedicated units if you are considering attending a PCLC.
Common items to address with policies include criteria for admission and discharge, physician management ( open unit, only by palliative care, required palliative care consult, 24/7 coverage), processes to coordinate care from unit to home/facility, negotiation of expectations of revenue to cost, availability of interdisciplinary staff, minimum staffing guidelines since census may vary over time.
Symptom management protocols are often very effective in dedicated units. Patrick Coyne will present an audioconference on February 11, 2009 about symptom protocols--for further information: www.hpna.org.
Best of luck!
Lyn Ceronsky
Director, Palliative Care
PCLC Faculty
Fairview Health Services