Palliative Care Services at UPMC Western Maryland

Palliative Care is a medical specialty that involves a multidisciplinary team who will coordinate your care with your primary physician and other health care providers to deliver patient and family-centered care. It helps to improve quality of life through anticipating, preventing and treating physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual suffering at any stage of a serious, life-limiting illness from diagnosis regardless of prognosis.

Contact Us

Questions? Call 240-964-8939.

Why is Palliative Care Needed?

Palliative Care can provide numerous benefits for patients, their families and caregivers.

• Helps you understand your disease process, prognosis and your current plan of care
• Clarifies goals and treatment options
• Offers guidance for difficult and complex medical decisions
• Provides you with adequate time to discuss and address complex medical decisions
• Optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering by addressing physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs
• Helps coordinate your care with your multiple healthcare providers and improves communication

Palliative Care offers guidance to patients who are faced with difficult treatment decisions associated with diagnoses, like:

• Cancer
• Cardiac disease
• Respiratory disease
• Kidney failure
• HIV/AIDS
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis

Palliative Care Frequently Asked Questions

When should someone start palliative care?

Palliative Care can start at any time during your illness, no matter your prognosis at any time. Patients, or their family members, may request a Palliative Care consult.

Who handles palliative care?

Palliative Care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of providers, nurses, social workers and chaplains. The UPMC Western Maryland Palliative Care team provides support from these individuals in an environment to meet each of the unique needs of our patients and their loved ones.

How do I get palliative care?

Ask your doctor for a referral. Our team works together with your primary physician so you will not have to give up your own doctor.

Is palliative care covered under insurance?

Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover Palliative Care services.

Additional Resources

• Palliative Care Quick Guide (PDF)
• Palliative Care vs. Hospice Care: What’s the difference? (PDF)