Palliative Care: Treating the Whole Person

The Spring 2019 Palliative Care Conference will focus on ways to address the totality of the patient’s relational existence—physical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual. 

REGISTRATION IS OPEN until May 15th.  Any late comers can register at the conference.

CME - This activity meets the criteria for up to 6 hours of Category I CME credit. These credits are often accepted by many professional organizations.  Please check with your own professional association to determine applicability to the continuing education requirements for your own license.  (See full Accreditation Statement below)

Conference keynote speakers will provide discussion with embedded case studies to illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of palliative care, and break out sessions will provide a chance to explore some other topics in depth.  The conference is still being planned, but current confirmed sessions include

Keynote Speakers

Casey Shillam, PhD, MSN, RN – Treating the Whole Person.  Dean, School of Nursing, University of Portland. Shillam will present a model for thinking about holistic care.

Jennifer Kett, MD - Pediatric Palliative Care: Treating the Whole Infant, Child, or Teen.  Kett specializes in complex critical care, working as part of an interdisciplinary team at Mary Bridge Hospital in Tacoma that provides family-centered care for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. She will address the special challenges of working with critically children and youth.

Arika Patneaude, MSW, LICSW - Embracing Cultural Humility in Palliative Care.  Patneaude is part of the interdisciplinary team at Children's Hospital and will help us explore how cultural perspectives and beliefs intersect with access to and implementation of palliative care. 

Break-Out Sessions

Not If But When: Books for Young People about Death and Loss:  Thom Barthelmess, Youth Services Director, Whatcom County Library; Sylvia Tag, Curator, Children’s Literature Collection, Western Washington University Libraries  & Marie Eaton, Community Champion, Palliative Care Institute.

Children who are facing a serious illness or have experienced a death in their family can be reassured by stories of other children who have had a similar experience. These stories help them understand better what has happened in their own family while at the same time offering the comforting knowledge that they are not alone in their feelings. In this session we will explore how books provide a way to begin these conversations, giving the child permission to talk about death and communicating that we are interested in her feelings and questions.

There Is Always Hope: The Essence of Spiritual Care: Tessie Mandeville, Chaplain, PeaceHealth St Joseph's Medical Center

The Healing Power of Music in Palliative Care: Linda Allen, DM, Certified Medical Musician, Hospice of the Northwest.

Special Considerations for Adolescents & Children​: Jennifer Kett, MD 

Honoring a Family’s Goals about a Meaningful Life and Death: A case study: Lauren Schmidt, MSW, LICSW, palliative care consultant in the Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

REGISTRATION FEES (includes lunch, coffee and snacks)

Scholarships are available. Contact pci@wwu.edu

On-site registration will be space available at the REGULAR prices.

Accreditation Statement: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements of the Washington State Medical Association through the joint providership of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and Western Washington University. PeaceHealth St. Joseph is accredited by the WSMA to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center designates this live [type of educational activity] activity for a maximum of 6 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity meets the criteria for up to 6 hours of Category I CME credit to satisfy the relicensure requirements of the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission.