Palliative Care

Hospice Palliative Care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual (WHO 2002).

The palliative care program at Providence Health Care consists of a consultation program at St. Paul’s Hospital(SPH) and Mount St. Joseph Hospital(MSJ), all residential care sites, a palliative care unit at SPH and St. John Hospice. The goal of the program is to ensure equitable access to specialist palliative services as needed and to promote the practice of quality palliative care throughout the organization. We also would like to lead in development and dissemination of new knowledge, thinking and policy through research and quality improvement.

Please have a look at our public website at www.hpc.providencehealthcare.org or find us as the Palliative Care Companion on the Clinical Page of the Intranet.

Palliative Care Program On-Call Coverage

The Palliative Outreach and Consult Team pager is answered by an RN Monday to Friday 0800-1600hrs. The Palliative Care physicians at St. Paul's Hospital expanded call to accept telephone consultations by physicians/residents/Nurse Practitioners on evenings and weekends across the organization.

Patients being followed by the palliative consultant and new patient consults:

  • For urgent issues requiring immediate attention and/or direction by a physician, the attending physician/resident will be called first.
  • The attending physician/resident can then page the palliative on-call physician directly if consultation is required.
  • The palliative physician will not be able to come to the facilities or to MSJ to make a direct assessment, but will give phone advice to the attending physician/resident who will be responsible for providing directions for the care of the patient to staff (as the MRP).
  • During daytime hours palliative care consultations and inquiries should be directed to the palliative team responsible for that facility.

Contacts

Dr. Gil Kimel Physician Program Director - Palliative Care Program
Email: gkimel@providencehealth.bc.ca
Tel: 604-682-2344 ext.62097
Fax: 604-806-8229
Pager: 604-258-3729
Location: 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6

Last updated Fri, Aug 19, 2016