Given the rapid growth of palliative care, interdisciplinary leadership has become essential. With the increase of nurses stepping into the role of palliative care program leader, it is important to understand leadership concepts and skills, which can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

Developed with feedback from the CAPC and Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association (HPNA) 2018 nursing leadership focus group, CAPC has curated a collection of continuing education courses and informational resources to provide nurses with building blocks for leading teams, and steering high quality, sustainable programs.

For information about CAPC clinical CE training for nurses, click here.

What’s in the Toolkit

Integrating foundational principles and quality standards of upstream palliative care for patients living with serious illness.

Introduction to Palliative Care for Health Professionals

An introduction to palliative care, how it is delivered, its impact on quality of life, and the growing population of patients who need it.

Introduction to Palliative Care in the Community

Defining community-based palliative care: which patients need it, how it is delivered, and how it differs from inpatient palliative care.

National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care

Home to the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care, the Coalition was founded by the leading hospice and palliative care organizations to coordinate and collaborate on issues and activities of importance to the interdisciplinary hospice and palliative care field.

Acquiring a working knowledge of business language, business planning and budgeting, and making the financial case for palliative care.

The Business Case for Palliative Care: Translating Research into Program Development in the U.S.
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A summary of 10 principles and relevant data to inform the business case for palliative care services across settings (Cassel et al.).

Palliative Care Ensures Value

One-page infographic to introduce your organization leaders, referrers, and health plans to the quality, satisfaction, and utilization improvements resulting from palliative care.

Anticipating Decision-Maker Reactions
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This document can help you respond to questions from senior leaders and decision-makers as you work to secure financial support for your palliative care program.

Understanding palliative care program financing and reimbursement for palliative care services.

Payment Glossary

Defines key terms in payment vocabulary.

Tools for Making the Case

These tools can be used to make the case for palliative care investment with organization leaders, health plans, colleagues, and community partners.

Optimizing Billing Practices

Toolkit with billing and coding best practices for palliative care services delivered in the hospital or the community.

Hospital Palliative Care Program Staffing Worksheet
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Project staffing FTE per discipline based on expected patient volumes. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2015.

Payment Quick Tips: Value-Based Payment Introduction
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Monograph introducing value-based payment and its implications for palliative care.

Financial Analysis and Budgeting Tool for Community-Based Palliative Care
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Customizable workbook for community-based programs to create cost projections and key financial stats.

Understanding Costs and Prices: Companion Guide for Financial Analysis and Budgeting Tool
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Qualitative explanation of budgeting and finding opportunities for cost-efficiency.

Building Financial Relationships

Resources for palliative care programs working with payers and other financial collaborators, including contracting resources.

Appreciating and meeting the unique needs of various patient populations appropriate for palliative care.

Patient Identification and Assessment

Toolkit for finding the right patients at the right time to address gaps in care.

Integrating Palliative Care into Population Management

Improving operations and training clinical staff to identify, stratify, and meet the needs of patients living with serious illness at the population level.

The American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS TQIP) Palliative Care Best Practices Guidelines

Guidance on palliative care integration with trauma care. American College of Surgeons.

Incorporating core principles for a healthy, high-functioning interdisciplinary palliative care team.

Strategies for Maximizing the Health/Wellness of Palliative Care Teams

Monograph on processes that promote team health. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2014.

Clarifying Patient Goals of Care

Learn best practices for building trust, eliciting patient values, and having patient-centered conversations about goals of care.

Care Planning

Learn techniques to help patients and their caregivers plan for the future, both during the early stages of a serious illness and as a disease progresses.

Improving Team Performance

Strategic planning for new or veteran programs, and a framework for identification of barriers to team efficiency and team health.

Consult Etiquette: Communicating with Referring Providers

Guidance for palliative care teams to build collaborative relationships with referrers.

Quick Tips #1: Hiring New Team Members
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Hire a stable, high-performing team. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2018.

Quick Tips #2: Onboarding New Team Members
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Best practices for onboarding new staff to the palliative care team. Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2018.

Team Health and Resilience
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Ensure strong morale and healthy team functioning.

Role Clarity for a Highly Effective Interdisciplinary Team
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Clarify team roles and responsibilities to ensure positive relationships and productivity.

Quick Tips #5: Running Effective Interdisciplinary Team Patient Care Meetings
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Best practices in efficient, effective IDT meetings.

Understanding how palliative care programs work with seriously ill patients and families to relieve suffering and improve quality of life.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Principles for Palliative Care Leaders

Foundational guidance for leaders to integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging principles into health care organizations.

National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care, 4th edition

The National Consensus Project (NCP) Clinical Practice Guidelines are the national standard for high quality palliative care. National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care, 2018.

Supporting the Family Caregiver: The Burden of Serious Illness

Assessing and supporting caregivers of people with serious illness.

Care Coordination

Guidance for all clinicians on improving communication and ensuring smooth transitions of care for patients living with serious illness.

Integrating palliative care impact on quality measures in health care, and how to demonstrate program value through measurement.

Measurement Best Practices

Use this toolkit to select program measures that demonstrate value and support quality care delivery. Overcome common measurement obstacles and synthesize program data.

CAPC Measurement Guide
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Recommendations for measures and approaches to evaluating palliative care services that enable growth and improvement.

Demonstrating Value

Tools to make the case for palliative care resources and financial partnerships, including the palliative care evidence base and downloadable tools for presenting the case.

Quality Measurement and Accountability for Community-Based Serious Illness Care: A Synthesis Report of Convening Findings and Conclusions

Results of a recent convening of experts to define appropriate quality measures for this population.

Payment Quick Tips: Value-Based Payment Introduction
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Monograph introducing value-based payment and its implications for palliative care.

Toolkit to support strategic planning, team leadership, and professional development for the palliative care leader. Includes 30 resources.
Hire and onboard your staff, manage program operations, and ensure a healthy high-functioning team using this toolkit. Includes 68 resources.
Tools to make the case for palliative care resources and financial partnerships, including the palliative care evidence base and downloadable tools for presenting the case. Includes 27 resources.

See all 49 Toolkits

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