Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Several faculty members from the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship have published noteworthy articles.

• Susan Glod's A Piece of My Mind article

• Susan Glod's Subjective‐Objective‐Assessment‐Plan–Value model of medical education

• Margaret Kreher's Medical Clinics chapter on Symptom Control at the End of Life

• Scott Shreve's article on Concurrent Care for Veterans with Cancer at the End of Life

• Amy Westcott's Medical Clinics chapter on Artificial Nutrition and Hydration at the End of Life

• Drs. David Wenner and Amy Westcott's WITF interviews on Finding Peace

Applications for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship are only accepted through ERAS in accordance to the NRMP Specialties Matching Service policies and schedules. 

Refer to the official AAMC ERAS Fellowship website for details. For informal inquiries, contact the program.

Interview Details

The program interviews on Thursdays in late August through mid-October. Those selected to interview will be contacted directly. Interviews are being held virtually.

The Department of Medicine at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center was approved by the ACGME in 2015 for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship. The one-year comprehensive clinical training program is based at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, with away rotations at Lebanon VA Medical Center, Hospice of Central Pennsylvania and Oak Hill Village.

In addition to a complete schedule of clinical conferences and journal clubs to supplement the patient care activities of the Palliative Care Service, the program has a special interprofessional peer-driven curriculum that includes advanced practitioners, chaplaincy and social work. One trainee is accepted each year into the program.

The clinical expertise of the interprofessional faculty includes all components of comprehensive care of patients/families living with life-limiting illness to ensure a whole-patient perspective.

The program offers several didactic series, both at the departmental and divisional level. The fellow presents a journal club at least once a year, and has opportunities to participate in national didactics that connect fellows with other HPM fellows in programs throughout the US. Each fellow also has the opportunity to participate in system-wide quality improvement efforts and various teaching activities throughout the fellowship.

• Fellows will provide enhanced care coordination by explicit navigation assistance for palliative patients as they leave the hospital and engaging in best communication practices with the interprofessional team from Hospice of Central Pennsylvania.

• Fellows will have interprofessional learning by making joint care visits with interdisciplinary team members, including visits to patient homes, nursing homes and residential homes.

• Fellows will be participating members of the Inpatient Palliative Care Consult Team for six months.

• Fellows will facilitate care coordination through explicit navigation assistance and follow-up for palliative care patients as they transition into the Outpatient Continuity Clinic in the Cancer Institute.

• Fellows will participate in "Fellow as Teacher" with assigned curriculum development and implementation based on a needs assessment of an interprofessional team within our health system or community.

Hospice and Palliative Home Care

Fellows will gain extensive experience managing hospice and palliative patients through time spent with Hospice of Central Pennsylvania. Fellows will participate in a minimum of 25 home visits, and actively participate in the interdisciplinary team meetings. Fellows will also spend a minimum of two weeks at the Carolyn's House residential hospice house.

Inpatient Palliative Care Consultation Service

Fellows will spend a minimum of four months with the interprofessional inpatient consultation teams.

Outpatient Clinic

Fellows will maintain their own half-day outpatient clinic practice under the supervision of the palliative care faculty. Fellows will follow new patients longitudinally in the ambulatory setting as well as across settings if the patients are admitted to the hospital, a long-term care facility and/or hospice.

Long-Term Care

Fellows will learn how to provide palliative care for frail older adults residing in long-term care during dedicated time at HMC-affiliated communities.

Pediatric Palliative Medicine Rotation

Fellows will spend two weeks with the Hummingbird Program at Penn State Children's Hospital.

Electives

Electives include ALS, surgical oncology, pain control and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Projects will leverage the agenda of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center's Chief of Patient Safety/Quality, focused on transitions of care, interprofessional education and/or the patient/family experience.

Milestones will include:

• Abstract submission to a national conference

• Manuscripts submitted for publication

Fellows will be paired with faculty mentors who will guide in the acquisition of competence in the clinical, teaching, research and advocacy skills pertinent to the discipline, serve as a clinical supervisor in an inpatient or outpatient setting, develop curricula, and/or participation in didactic activities.

Fellows will participate in semi-structured peer-mentoring with an interprofessional peer group.

• Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

• Hospice of Central Pennsylvania

• Lebanon VA Medical Center