Palliative Care Unit
Our faculty played key roles in the overall quality of care initiative of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, leading and developing programs in a number of areas. These efforts have made a significant contribution to reducing mortality and improving outcomes in our hospitals and clinics. This year, a number of programs were added or expanded, delivering new services or expanding access to the medically underserved. One of the Department’s new program is the Palliative Care Unit.
Established in 2003 as a part-time consult service for physicians treating patients with chronic illnesses, the Palliative Care Program focuses on patient’s quality of life, taking an interdisciplinary approach to addressing their physical, emotional and social issues. In August 2006, the Department opened a new ten-bed Palliative Care Unit under the direction of Morgan Bain, M.D., in the Sticht Center. The response has been overwhelmingly positive with the unit receiving many letters thanking physicians and staff for their compassion and professionalism. Also in 2006, the American Board of Medical Specialties approved Palliative Care as a subspecialty of Internal Medicine.