The Power of Palliative Care
Rhianon Ruiqin Liu, MD and Betty Fortuin, LCSW, talk to patients and their families about the care that aligns with their values and preferences.
The Power of Palliative Care
Rhianon Ruiqin Liu, MD and Betty Fortuin, LCSW, talk to patients and their families about the care that aligns with their values and preferences.
Easing Pain and Healing through a Team Approach
As Maine and New Hampshire’s population ages and more people live with serious illnesses, the many benefits of palliative care have become increasingly apparent and more crucial for meeting the needs of patients and their families.
Take for example PJ, a 75-year-old man grappling with advanced heart, lung and kidney disease, who found himself repeatedly hospitalized for respiratory failure. His doctors focused on treating each component of his complex condition. PJ found that after each hospitalization, he was a little sicker than before; hospitalizations were also becoming more frequent. The constant round of hospitalizations was exhausting for PJ and a strain on his family. The MaineHealth palliative care team in Scarborough, Maine, helped PJ and his family to understand the interplay between his medical conditions and what to expect in the future. PJ shared that his primary goal was to remain at home and spend time with his family.
In 2024, the MaineHealth Medical Group redoubled its commitment to palliative care by opening an outpatient palliative care practice in Scarborough and embedding palliative care teams into oncology practices across the system. The result has been an increase in palliative care referrals and a deeper understanding among patients, caregivers and clinicians of the power of palliative care to ease pain and heal wounds that traditional medical care may not recognize.
The availability of ambulatory palliative care provides ongoing support and helps patients like PJ navigate the health care system. The MaineHealth palliative care team saw PJ on several occasions, including organizing an outpatient family meeting. They helped to get him a hip injection to treat pain he was having, averting a hospitalization. Ultimately, as PJ’s medical issues worsened, they facilitated a transition to hospice. PJ was able to die in his home surrounded by his family.
By fostering a deep understanding of the patient’s situation, providing clarity on their diagnosis and aligning care with their desires and needs, palliative care not only brings comfort but also reduces medical interventions that may be of limited value to the patient.
Expanding Access to Care
Aileen Mickey, MD, MHA
“Expanding access to palliative care over the last year has already improved the lives of our patients and reduced health care costs,” said MaineHealth Medical Group President Aileen Mickey, MD, MHA. “We’re striving for even more referrals to palliative care in 2025 as we increase our capacity to serve patients with serious illness.”
Palliative care includes an interdisciplinary team – physicians, advanced practice providers, registered nurses and licensed social workers — that collaborates and shares expertise for the best possible quality of life for patients who live with serious illnesses.