Since there is more to well-being than physical health, our multidisciplinary team provides a variety of supportive resources to improve quality of life for patients and their closest loved ones. The Palliative Medicine & Supportive Care team at Ochsner includes nurses, dietitians, therapists, social workers, chaplains and others with the needed expertise and skills to respond to unique challenges. Our team collaborates with patients, their family and their physicians to minimize physical symptoms like pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite and nausea. The team can also help relieve spiritual or emotional distress such as fear, depression and anxiety. If patients or their families are curious about the condition and how it may affect the future, we can provide more information about treatment options so you can prepare to make decisions that are true to your values and goals. Patients are always in control of their palliative care plan, which means they can count on us to adapt to their wishes and focus on what matters most to them at every stage in their illness.

Palliative care services are available during a hospital stay or as an outpatient at various Ochsner locations throughout Louisiana. The Palliative Medicine & Supportive Care team also coordinates in-home visits with nurse practitioners to serve people whose illnesses keep them at home, along with supportive care through virtual appointments. Find a location near you.

Palliative care isn’t just for patients and families living with cancer. Our non-cancer palliative care clinic also serves people who manage other serious conditions such as:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung diseases — conditions that limit the lungs’ capacity to process oxygen and other gases that help maintain good blood circulation
• Heart disease — diseases that limit the flow of blood to the heart and the rest of the body
• HIV & AIDS — conditions that attack the body’s ability to fight infections
• Kidney disease — damage that keeps the kidneys from filtering blood properly
• Liver disease — a set of diseases that keep the liver from removing toxins, fighting infections and helping blood clot
• Lung disease — conditions that limit the lungs’ capacity to process oxygen and other gases that help maintain good blood circulation
• Neurologic diseases — such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke, which limit thinking and movement

Dana Phillpott, RN, BSN – Palliative Care Nurse

Jennifer Harvey, RN – Palliative Care Manager, Ochsner LSU

Lisa Devall, RN – Nurse Navigator, Ochsner Medical Center

Farrand Manuel, BSN, RN, CHPN – Palliative Care Nurse, Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge

Elisabeth Monies - Program Manager, Advance Care Planning

The Palliative Care & Supportive Medicine team at Ochsner offers multiple forms of treatments that can help you feel better, including but not limited to:

• Breathing treatments and exercises
• Dietary guidance
• Massage therapy
• Meditation
• Relaxation techniques
• Sleep guidance
• Spiritual comfort
• Talk therapy

Palliative care improves quality of life for people who have serious illnesses as well as their family members and/or caretakers. Whether you have a treatable, chronic or life-threatening condition, you can choose palliative care to cope with illness symptoms and unwanted side effects of treatments. Palliative care physicians work with you and your family to help you choose what feels right for you. They often collaborate with your healthcare team, and their role is to help you get the most out of life on your terms while helping treat your condition. Palliative care physicians are specially trained to help you manage pain, control or get relief from the symptoms of disease and explore the advantages and disadvantages of treatments offered by your healthcare team.

You are the expert on the type of palliative care that’s best for you, but we’re here to help both the patient and family decide. Palliative care services are available in the office, through telemedicine, in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities and at home. The sooner you ask for palliative care, the earlier you will have access to expert support and knowledge that can help you handle a serious disease or curative treatment. To see a palliative care physician, ask for a referral from your doctor.

Palliative care can be recommended at any point in the disease process, and it’s not only for patients with life-limiting conditions. Hospice care is designed for patients closer to the end of their lives, typically those with fewer than six months to live.