The Palliative Care Program ensures provision of compassionate, ethical, and reasonable care to patients with serious and irreversible health problems. Illnesses most commonly treated by Palliative Care are heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, renal disease, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease. Palliative Care is appropriate from the time of diagnosis and is not dependent on prognosis. Although they share the same principles of comfort and support, Palliative Care is different from hospice care because it begins at diagnosis and continues during treatment and beyond. Patients can receive palliative care at the same time as curative and life-prolonging treatment
Palliative Care can help with: supporting patients and families with weighing the burdens and benefits of medical treatments and interventions; assisting with with completion of Advanced Directives, living wills, and clarification of Code Status; provision of emotional and practical support with problems related to living with illness; and facilitation of discussion of end-of-life planning and hospice education.
Consultations are provided Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be done in any location within the Mercy System.
Contact:
Mercy Health System of Maine Palliative Care Program
144 State Street
Portland, ME 04101
Pager:207.741.1525
Phone: 207.822.2548
Providers:
Jessica Vickerson, NP-C, MSW, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Robin Wright, LCSW, Palliative Care Social Worker
Resources:
Talking with Patients about Palliative Care
