Palliative Medicine
What is Palliative Medicine?
Palliative medicine serves patients and loved ones facing the symptoms and stresses of complex and serious illnesses.
The palliative medicine team will have conversations with you and your loved ones about your health and your values, goals, and options. We will work with you to design a care plan that helps you to maximize the quality of your life.
The palliative medicine team can help you to:
- Understand your options
- Manage your symptoms, including pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue, as well as anxiety and depression
- Address your emotional and spiritual needs
- Develop care plans and advance directives that respect your choices
- Support your family and friends
- Coordinate your care with other providers and services in the hospital and in the community
Who can benefit from palliative medicine services?
Palliative medicine services can help patients of all ages with complex serious, chronic, or terminal illnesses, including:
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Kidney disease
- Lung disease
- Neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other dementias
These services can benefit patients who are experiencing repeated emergency department visits or hospital admissions related to their health conditions.
Palliative medicine services can also support a patient’s loved ones as they navigate a patient’s illnesses.
When do palliative medicine services help?
Palliative medicine services offer a continuum of care and can benefit patients at any stage of a serious illness. Ideally, they are introduced soon after a diagnosis. They can be provided with or without treatments meant to improve health. Palliative medicine services can include hospice care, which supports patients in the last months of life when curative and restorative treatments are no longer appropriate or no longer desired.
Who provides palliative medicine services?
At UHS Hospitals, the inpatient palliative medicine team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, and social workers. The team works closely with other disciplines, including nursing, pharmacy, care management, and spiritual care, to care for patients and their loved ones.
Depending on an individual’s plan of care, the inpatient palliative medicine team may place a referral to an outpatient palliative care program or a hospice program.
Most insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, cover palliative medicine services.
How can someone receive palliative medicine services?
Ask your provider about speaking with the palliative medicine team.
If you have questions, please call the palliative medicine team at 607-763-6982.
Related Providers
UHS News
-
When a storm hits, keep virtual healthcare in mindJanuary 22, 2026Your health is important, even when a snowstorm or other inclement weather makes travel difficult. Many UHS practices now provide a Virtual Healthcare option, connecting with your healthcare provider for a visit via your home computer or mobile device.
-
Key facts about cervical cancer and its risk factorsJanuary 22, 2026Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, observed each January, is a vital initiative to educate the public about cervical cancer, its prevalence, prevention strategies and the importance of early detection through screening.
-
Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermiaJanuary 22, 2026With frigid temperatures in the forecast, we want to remind everyone that serious health problems can result from prolonged exposure to the cold.
-
Give the gift of life this National Blood Donor MonthJanuary 21, 2026January marks National Blood Donor Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the ongoing need for blood donations and honoring the donors who help save lives every day.