Become a Palliative Care Champion

Explore this page to understand the vital role palliative care plays across the cancer care continuum. Find resources and learn how to join their efforts to improve patient outcomes and elevate the standard of care.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with serious illnesses. It focuses on relieving symptoms and reducing the stress associated with these conditions.. The primary goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and their family.

Hear from Jackie Wall, MD, as she shares what it means to be a palliative care champion, and why this role is essential in improving the lives of patients with gynecologic cancers.

VIDEO of Jackie Wall, MD 0:00-0:41

The Role and Value of Palliative Care Champions in Gynecologic Oncology

Palliative care champions play a vital role across multiple areas of gynecologic oncology, including surgical care, patient and family support, healthcare provider well-being, and overall health system effectiveness.

For Patients and Families:

Reduced intensity of care at the end of life (EOL)
More days spent in hospice care
Better symptom management
Higher satisfaction with care among both patients and families
Improved quality of life (QOL)
Potential for improved survival

For Healthcare Providers:

Increased job satisfaction
Ability to maintain long-term relationships with patients through longitudinal care

For the Health System:

Significant cost savings
More efficient use of healthcare resources

Palliative Care in Surgery

Surgical patients have distinct palliative care (PC) needs that require thoughtful integration throughout the surgical journey:

Perioperative Decision-Making: PC can support complex decisions before and after surgery, including goals-of-care discussions and alignment of treatment plans with patient values (e.g., Schwartze model).

Symptom Management: Effective pre- and post-operative symptom control improves patient comfort and outcomes.

Palliative Surgical Procedures: Some surgeries may be done with palliative intent, such as relieving obstruction or managing pain, rather than curing disease.

ICU Considerations: Surgical patients in intensive care settings often do not receive guideline-concordant palliative care, pointing to a gap in current practice (see Slide 16 for data).