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"The new, three-room unit will centralize the existing palliative care services and create a designated inpatient area on the second floor of the Rosenthal building," said Peter Selwyn, MD, director of the unit and chair of Family Medicine at Montefiore. "This will be of great benefit in meeting the complex medical, emotional and spiritual needs of very ill patients and their families."
The three specially-designed hospital rooms will have reclining chairs, couches and a creatively decorated, calming environment. The unit will accommodate four to six patients at any given time and will also serve as the in-hospital unit for terminally ill hospice patients who are referred to Montefiore.The Palliative Care Unit will be staffed by dedicated inpatient nursing staff, working in conjuction with affiliated physicians and the full-time Palliative Care Service. The full-time staff includes Sean O'Mahony, MD, medical director, two full-time nurse practitioners, two full-time social workers and a chaplain. The inpatient unit will be supervised by Francine Rainone, MD.
"The goal of palliative care is to step outside the strict, bio-medical model of treatment," said Dr. Selwyn. "It helps make patients comfortable, reduces their pain and suffering and improves their quality of life. In addition, it provides a plan of care that includes emotional and spiritual support for the families."Montefiore Medical Center, The University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, is an internationally recognized leader in patient care, education, research and community services. Montefiore provides treatment programs for patients with all major illnesses and has distinguished centers of excellence in heart care, cancer care, children’s health, women’s health and surgery.
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