Palliative Care

Palliative Care Committee

Who We Are

This committee provides resources and guidance to members and the board of directors in regards to the development of palliative care competence relevant to emergency physicians across all levels of experience.

Leadership

Jessica Fleischer-Black, MD FAAEM
Chair

Margaret Putman, DO FAAEM
Vice Chair

Tom Scaletta, MD MAAEM FAAEM
Board Liaison

Tom Derenne
Staff Liaison

Our Projects

COVID-19 Palliative Care Conversation Resources

Vital Talk – Trains clinicians in effective communication methods
- COVID-specific
Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) – Provides tools, training and technical assistance for all clinicians caring for people with serious illness
- COVID-specific
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Association – Shared Decision-Making Tool (COVID-specific)
California Health Care Foundation
Honoring Choices. Pacific Northwest – With links to archived webinars. COVID-specific

Other Resources

Statements

Recommendations for the Navigation of Moral Dilemmas during the COVID Pandemic
February 22, 2021
Emergency Physicians are at potential risk for moral conflict and burnout when trying to accommodate the many challenges for caring for seriously ill patients in the ED. The patient care needs and what the physician “feels is right” have become more apparent with the large volume of patients requiring treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. There […]

Common Sense Articles

CPR is Not Resuscitation by Tara Shapiro, DO FAAEM, March/April 2023
End of Life in the Emergency Department by Maggie Putman, DO FAAEM, Jessica Fleischer-Black, MD FAAEM, and Bruce Gutierrez, MD, January/February 2023
Oxygen is for the Weak by Robyn Hitchcock, MD FAAEM, July/August 2022
My Journey from ER to Palliative Care by Alexa Gale, MD FAAEM, May/June 2022
A View from the Middle of My Mid-Career Fellowship by Jessica Fleischer-Black, MD FAAEM, May/June 2021
Hospital Associated Disability: Is Hospital Admission Really the Safest Disposition for Our Elderly Patients? by Diana Huynh, MD and Austin J. Causey, MD, May/June 2021
Agnes S. (1918-2020): Great Grandma by Mary Jane Brown, MD FAAEM, March/April 2021

How to Join

If you are interested in joining our committee, apply today!

Apply to Join a Committee

Appointments are confirmed on a quarterly basis (January, April, July, October).