Advanced Communication Academy

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on providing relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness-whatever the diagnosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of a serious illness, and can be provided together with curative treatment with the goal being that of improving quality of life for the patient and their family.

Unfortunately there are not enough palliative care specialists available to provide this type of care. Where there is one cardiologist for every 71 people experiencing a heart attack there is only one palliative medicine physician for every 1,200 people living with serious or life-threatening illness.

The Advanced Communication Academy is focused on building communication skills for clinicians in the setting of advanced serious illness and end of life. Sessions on communication will optimize the skills needed to break serious news, prognosticate, and have goals of care conversations, matching medical treatments to patient preferences. Participants will gain tools that are simple and practical, enhancing their ability to provide excellent symptom management.

Curriculum is aligned with the National Quality Forum preferred practices for quality palliative care and the teaching methods are interactive and experiential in nature. The clinical faculty are nationally certified palliative clinicians with extensive experience in hospice and palliative care.

Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care applied for and received a generous grant from the Cambia Foundation intended to build generalist Palliative Care skills among clinicians from within and outside of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. The Academy is now supported by Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care.

The Advanced Communication Academy is currently being offered virtually. It is held via Zoom one day (seven hours). This activity meets the criteria for up to 9.25 hours of Category I CME credit.

There is no charge for Franciscan Health staff. Non-employees are invited to attend the training with the following fees; Virtual Advanced Communication Academy 9.25 Hours CME: MD or DO $277.50 and ARNP, PA and other health care professions $208.13.

Note: The Advanced Communication Academy is aimed at training physicians and mid-level clinicians. If you are a health care professional such as a nurse, social worker, or case manager and you are interested in attending a session, please do not register until you have communicated with Marilyn Pattison at the email address below.

For more information please email Marilyn Pattison at: [email protected].