Home / Our Care
Supportive Palliative CareAn extra layer of support for serious illness.
Focusing on making you feel better while the rest of your care team treats the disease.
Treating you, not your numbers.
Sometimes root causes cannot be treated. We don’t pretend otherwise. Instead we focus on symptom control so you can live your life at the highest quality possible, because being happier and free of pain gives you the strength to keep going.
Caring for the seriously ill is a calling. It is a great honor to be a part of your care team.
What’s included in supportive palliative care
Medication management
“Clinicians review your medications and adjust them as needed to address your needs.” Polypharmacy is one of the most common and most fixable sources of suffering we see.
Symptom control
Trouble sleeping, breathing, swelling, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, confusion, anxiety. We treat the symptom itself, aggressively and specifically.
Pain management
Supportive palliative care clinicians are experts in managing pain related to serious illness. We work closely with patients and families to identify the causes of pain, optimize treatment plans, and improve daily comfort and function.
Care coordination
We bridge gaps between specialists, healthcare settings and care teams, connecting the pieces of your medical care and presenting the big picture in a way that is easier to understand.
Who we can and can’t help
Being clear about this up front saves everyone time and disappointment.
Who qualifies for supportive palliative care?
Patients with chronic diseases carrying a significant disease burden that is affecting day-to-day life. That includes advanced cancer, congestive heart failure, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, chronic kidney disease, cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease, dementia, ALS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, HIV/AIDS and more.
Do I have to stop my current treatment?
No. Supportive palliative care is given alongside curative or disease-directed treatment. You keep your oncologist, your cardiologist, your nephrologist. We add to your team. We never replace it.
Is supportive palliative care the same as hospice?
No. Hospice is a specific benefit for people whose illness is advanced and who are no longer pursuing curative treatment. Supportive palliative care can begin at any stage of a serious illness, including the day of diagnosis, and many patients receive it for years.
Do you treat chronic pain?
Not on its own. We are not a chronic pain clinic and cannot support chronic pain patients. Our pain management is for pain caused by an underlying terminal or serious illness, such as cancer or organ dysfunction. If chronic pain is the primary issue, a dedicated pain clinic is the right referral and we’re glad to point you there.
Where do visits happen?
Outpatient supportive palliative care is delivered primarily by telehealth, so you can meet with our team from home. We also make criteria-based visits to assisted living communities and long-term care facilities, and we provide inpatient supportive palliative care at our partner hospitals.
What does it cost?
Supportive palliative care is typically billed to Medicare, Medicare Advantage and most commercial insurance as a physician service. Our team will verify your benefits before the first visit so there are no surprises. Preventive symptom management also tends to reduce total cost of care by avoiding emergency visits and hospitalizations.
You Don’t Have to Carry This Alone.
One call starts it. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you that too, and help you find who is.