Palliative Care is the treatment and relief of mental and physical pain without curing the causes, especially in patients suffering from a terminal illness.
Palliative care usually happens before Hospice, or as a bridge to hospice, as the patient is still looking for a cure to their illness and seeking treatments. Its focus is to relieve suffering while assuring comfort, dignity and the best possible quality of life for patients and their families, regardless of the stage of the disease or need for other therapies.
What can I expect from palliative care?
- Pain and non-pain symptom management
- Planning for the future
- Information and resources
- Assistance with important decisions
The palliative care team does not replace the attending physician, but works with the patient’s physician to coordinate care.
How does palliative care differ from hospice care?
Palliative Care
- For any stage of an illness
- Used in conjunction with curative treatments.
- Helps with transition from curative care to hospice care.
Palliative Care with Hospice Care
- Compassionate end-of-life care
- For patients with life-limiting illness.
- For those with life expectancy of 6 months or less.
- For patients who decide on comfort care versus curative treatments.
Service Locations and Convenient Referrals
Alegent Creighton Health Palliative Care services are primarily hospital-based. The service is available at all five metro Omaha area hospital locations throughout the Alegent Creighton Health System. Referrals for palliative care must be made by the patient’s primary care physician; however, requests for information may come from physicians, patients, family members, clergy and other members of the health care team.
To access Alegent Creighton Health Palliative Care services in Omaha, or for more information, call 402-717-3600. For Hospice services call 402-898-8000.
Palliative Care Team
The Palliative Care Team also works in close collaboration with the hospital social workers and chaplains to help ensure optimum care.
Asha Wurdeman, D.O. - Medical Director
Heather Morgan, M.D.
Molly Johnson, APRN
Michelle Wherly, APRN
