Our Clinical Services

Find out about our clinical services, which are available both in and out of the hospital.

Our Philosophy of Care

Palliative care helps people with serious illness feel better by managing symptoms, pain, and stress. It supports both patients and their families at any stage of illness, alongside curative treatments. Our goal is to improve quality of life and enhance your care experience at Stanford.

We care for the whole person and those close to them by addressing:

  • Body: Physical symptoms and illness

  • Mind: Mental and emotional distress

  • Spirit: Existential concerns

  • Community: Social needs and support resources

What the Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Team Provides

  • Expert prevention and management of symptoms, including pain and side effects of treatments
  • Excellent and ongoing communication about the illness, and the person's goals, values, beliefs, and priorities
  • Emotional and mental health care
  • Spiritual support
  • Help with social needs (like transportation, food, housing)
  • Suppot for caregviers and families
All of our clinicians are so passionate that this service is accessible for patients and families who need it.

Palliative Care is More Than Hospice

Palliative care can be provided at any age and any stage of a serious illness, even while you're getting treatments like chemo or surgery.

Hospice is one type of palliative care, offered at the very end of life, typically when someone has six months or less to live and is no longer receiving curative treatments.

More about the differences between palliative care and hospice

Get connected to palliative care at Stanford Health Care

Ask for a referral

Ask your doctor or nurse to connect you to palliative care.  They will send a note (or "make a referral") for you. Your primary care doctor, hospital team, or your specialist can do this for you.

Choose where you want to be seen

We have services available in the hospital (inpatient consult services). We also have clinics outside of the hospital (outpatient palliative care). Our clinic palliative care teams provide: in-person visits, video visits, and telephone visits.