August 16, 2004
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center to open in-house palliative care unit
A new unit slated to open in September at Brigham and Women's Hospital will provide care for cancer patients requiring intensive, focused attention to their physical, social, psychological, or spiritual needs. Clinicians experienced in palliative care will staff the unit.
David Giansiracusa, MD
The Acute Palliative Care Unit (APCU), a family-focused, pilot program for Dana- Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, will be the first of its kind in Massachusetts. DFCI's Janet Abrahm, MD, and David Giansiracusa, MD, (who recently arrived from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center) will serve as co-directors. The newly renovated space is intended to handle the most complex patients whose problems cannot be managed at home, and will aim to reduce suffering and enhance quality of life.
"This unit provides a unique opportunity for an interdisciplinary team of caregivers to coordinate efforts and provide intensive relief from suffering," says Giansiracusa.
The new program, to be located on 5A — a general oncology unit at BWH housing DFCI-licensed beds — will support six palliative care patients alongside six general oncology patients. Nurses and other staff will tend to both oncology and APCU patients in conjunction with the palliative care team, which is comprised of physicians, nurses, and psychiatrists, as well as a social worker, pharmacist, chaplain, and care coordinator. The team will collaborate with oncologists to assure seamlessness and continuity in care.
"Our services for patients with palliative-care needs have traditionally been dispersed throughout the hospital, but recent medical literature says they should be centralized," explains Dianne Cerce, BWH's executive director for oncology services. "A unit that focuses on palliative care is advantageous both medically and financially, because it is provided more efficiently and patients have shorter stays. We hope to expand this service beyond cancer to other specialties."
