Firelands establishes hospice and palliative medicine fellowship, first for the CORE

By Angelina Young

Firelands Regional Medical Center has established a new fellowship in Osteopathic Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship

The fellowship is the first osteopathic hospice and palliative medicine fellowship in Ohio, the third osteopathic program in the country and the only one in the CORE. “I believe this strengthens the CORE by providing another opportunity for GME through the OPTI,” said Eric Mast, D.O. (’93), current director of medical education at Firelands.

The genesis of the fellowship arose from discussions between James Preston, D.O. and Karen Nichols, D.O. Preston was the director of medical education at Firelands for 17 years before retiring in January, 2009, to become the associate medical director at Stein Hospice, Inc.

Preston is returning part-time to Firelands as the program director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship. Nichols is a former president of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and a hospice and palliative medicine advocate.

 “Stein has been very supportive of this endeavor,” Mast said.

Stein has partnered with Firelands to sponsor and support this fellowship that will begin this July, he said.

The fellowship is for one year leading to board eligibility in osteopathic hospice and palliative medicine. “At the completion of the fellowship, the fellow is qualified to sit for the certification exam in Hospice and Palliative Medicine as well as qualified to be a hospice and palliative medical director,” Preston said.

The Fell owship is designed for candidates who have long term career goals in end-of-life care or a desire to pursue end-of-life care as an adjunct to their career in primary care. Anyone who has completed an AOA approved residency in Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Neurology or Psychiatry is eligible to apply. Fellows will receive broad, practical experience in hospice and palliative medicine through inpatient and outpatient rotations supervised by certified hospice and palliative medicine experts.

A competency-based curriculum is the foundation for the fellowship. Fellows will develop expertise in palliative medicine, develop clinical scholarship, accrue palliative medicine skills in pain and symptom control, and develop skills in systems-based palliative care practice. They will learn the skills of communication and collaboration. They will also be trained to exemplify professionalism and compassion, and to advocate for patients and families.

According to the Hospice Foundation of America, hospice is a “special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments”. The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patient's last days by offering comfort and dignity, by controlling a patient's pain and discomfort. Hospice deals with the emotional, social and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and the patient's family and friends.

Palliative care is for patients who experience uncontrolled pain symptoms but are not yet ready for hospice. According to Stein, “Palliative means ‘to lessen the severity of and begins whenever a patient is diagnosed with an illness that cannot be cured.”

Fellows will be actively involved in the care and management of a significant number of patients throughout the year, at Stein Inpatient Unit, Firelands Regional Medical Center, Ohio Veteran’s Home, and at a number of outpatient community settings. To ensure continuity of care, fellows will work in conjunction with the staff attending and physicians-in-training.

As part of an interdisciplinary team, fellows will work with their team to offer consultation services that guide the direction of palliative care and participate in the interdisciplinary care of patients and families. Weekly patient management conferences and seminars will be held to provide a background of patient management. Fellows will be able to discuss psychosocial and spiritual issues with the interdisciplinary team, both informally and at scheduled conferences.

The fellowship includes instruction in complementary and traditional healing methods through team members from disciplines such as recreational therapy, nutritional therapy, social services, massage therapy, movement therapy, relaxation therapy, guided imagery, spiritual therapy, and healing touch therapy.

This program is the first osteopathic hospice and palliative medicine fellowship in Ohio, the third osteopathic program in the country and the only one in the CORE. “I believe this strengthens the CORE by providing another opportunity for GME through the OPTI,” Dr. Mast said.

If you are interested in applying, contact Dr. Preston at 419-557-7251. For more information on Firelands and the fellowship program, including the curriculum and rotation schedule, benefits, and services, go to www.firelands.com.