PCLC Core training and mentoring addresses all operational essentials of hospital palliative care program development. It is tailored to your individual program.

PCLC Core training and mentoring is specially designed for those planning or launching a new program, struggling programs and those restarting a program.

Training and yearlong mentoring is provided by physician and nurse leaders in the field, who are experts in applying the most effective palliative care program models. The two-day, small group, hands-on format provides you with dedicated time together as a team, away from distractions. CME credits are available.

The PCLC Core curriculum focuses on issues relevant to each aspect of hospital palliative care program development:

• Module 1: Systems Assessment & Mission Alignment
• Module 2: Clinical Models & Staffing
• Module 3: Financial Case & Sustainability
• Module 4: Measurement
• Module 5: Internal Marketing
• Module 6: Community Partnerships
• Module 7: Palliative Care Education
• Module 8: Program Implementation

Your training session may not cover all topics. Some content may be addressed in pre-training "homework" exercises, and some may be addressed during the yearlong post-training mentoring period. If you are scheduled for PCLC Core training and have certain topics you'd like to focus on during the session, please feel free to discuss those needs with your PCLC contact person.

Module 1: Systems Assessment & Mission Alignment

• Identify palliative care program stakeholders (patients, families, hospital staff, administration, community groups) and their priorities for the program
• Develop metrics to identify current unmet patient-care and provider needs at site visitor's institution: clinical evaluation, patient volume and staffing
• Develop strategies to engage key groups of stakeholders for impact on program goals

Module 2: Clinical Models & Staffing

• Understand the pros and cons of different palliative care programs
• Understand reasonable staffing patterns for inpatient palliative care units, consultation services and outpatient clinics
• Understand the finances of staffing a unit, and the cost of the care delivered to patients
• Understand the impact of local variations

Module 3: Financial Case & Sustainability

• Identify the building blocks for "making the case" for palliative care
• Understand the relationship between operational data (related to planned palliative care services) and financial data (related to potential needs and impact)
• Identify tools to assist in the development of the financial case and ongoing measurement
• Learn how to ask for financial help

Module 4: Measurement

• Understand which elements are important to capture and track in a hospital palliative care program database
• Identify resources available to locate and track:
  • Dates of service
  • Patient/family demographic information
  • Pain and symptom management clinical outcomes
  • Financial outcomes
  • Satisfaction
• Understand methods to effectively demonstrate data

Module 5: Internal Marketing

• Identify reasons why clinicians are reluctant to utilize palliative care services
• Identify tension points to aid in marketing palliative care services to clinicians
• Develop an internal marketing strategy that includes outreach to physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains and others
• Identify physicians and other institutional leaders who will champion the program
• Identify strategies for communicating with patients and families about the program
• Understand options for institutionalizing palliative care within the hospital medical and nursing staff committee structure

Module 6: Community Partnerships

• Understand the types of community programs and services needed by patients/families seen in a hospital palliative care program
• Identify community agencies that can provide services in partnership with a palliative care program
• Create a draft organizational chart, including relationships with institutional partners
• Develop a strategy for building and sustaining relationships with community partners that recognize competitive or collaborative forces
• Identify organizational, legal and operational structure options for partnerships
• Develop communication and process strategies to address continuity of care

Module 7: Palliative Care Education

• Identify pros and cons of four different education training formats for palliative care content (e.g. lectures, small group, self-study, role play)
• Review existing educational materials available for staff, patient and family education
• Develop a one-year educational Action Plan, outlining strategies for staff, patient and family education

Module 8: Program Implementation

• Identify common barriers to program implementation
• Identify resources to help overcome barriers to program implementation
• Develop a timeline for palliative care program implementation, identify one month, three month, six month goals and Action Steps
• Develop a process to review performance measures and develop action plans to improve program effectiveness