Inpatient Palliative Care

To provide person and family centered holistic care to decrease suffering and improve the quality of life for people at all stages of serious illness who are admitted to Stanford Hospital.

In general, we are often asked to assist in cases when other doctors need assistance with managing difficult to control symptoms or when patients are facing difficult decisions about the direction of their care. 

We often assist in managing the following symptoms:

• Pain
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety/Depression
• Distress around coping with an illness

We also help to ensure that the overall care plan matches with the goals and values that are most important to people and their loved ones. We are often involved in what we call "family meetings," when you, your loved ones, and your care team meet to discuss your care. We help to facilitate these meetings, making sure your questions are answered and that your voice is heard.

We work as an interdisciplinary team including:

• Physicians/Doctors (MD/DO)
• Advance Practive Providers (APP) (including Nurse Practitioners (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), and Physician Assistants (PA))
• Social Workers
• Chaplains

Our team is available 7-days a week, 365 days a year. We are available in person during regular business hours, and we provide telephone support to our colleagues 24/7.