In the realm of healthcare, palliative medicine represents a vital and compassionate approach to patient care, improving quality of life for individuals with serious illnesses. By addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, palliative care teams work collaboratively with patients, families, and other healthcare providers to alleviate suffering and promote comfort.
With the recent addition of Sean O’Mahony, MD, as Division Chief of UTMB’s Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Palliative Medicine, there is an opportunity to develop this important component of the patient care experience at UTMB.
“Palliative care is a team sport that depends on diverse skill sets of different providers,” he says. “I envision that this service will have planned growth as we add team members over the course of the next three years.”
Dr. O’Mahony brings extensive experience to UTMB. His work includes multidisciplinary palliative medicine initiatives in Emergency Departments, ICUs, and via telemedicine between long-term and acute care settings.
He joined this summer from Rush University in Chicago, where he spent 14 years and served as Section Chief of Palliative Medicine. He was previously Medical Director for Palliative Medicine for 10 years at Montefiore Medical Center.
An MD graduate of the University College of Dublin (Ireland), Dr. O’Mahony completed his Internal Medicine internship and residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He completed his fellowship training in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Upon arriving at UTMB, Dr. O’Mahony immediately appreciated the opportunity to have an impact across multiple campuses, as well as the specific needs of the patient populations UTMB serves.
“I like the commitment to underserved patients and medically vulnerable patients, such as those at the TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) hospital,” he says. “I also have an interest in taking care of patients with complex pain from chronic illnesses and patients with mental health problems at the end of life.”
Palliative care is often thought to be synonymous with end-of-life care, but this is not always the case. Palliative care can begin at diagnosis and continue through treatment, alongside curative efforts. Although it does encompass end-of-life scenarios, it can be introduced at any stage of illness to manage pain and other distressing symptoms.
Individuals with a wide range of conditions benefit from this care – including patients with cancer and other chronic conditions like congestive heart failure, COPD, diabetes, and more. Others who receive palliative care include elderly individuals facing multiple age-related illnesses, as well as those undergoing aggressive treatments that have painful or difficult side effects.
At UTMB, Dr. O’Mahony sees the opportunity to expand services starting with the Clear Lake Campus. He hopes to develop clinic space there and add an inpatient consult service line, likely next summer. He is also exploring opportunities at the Galveston Campus and hopes to work with Cancer Center leadership as a clinic is established.
Another of his priorities is addressing the workforce shortage in Palliative Medicine. He shares that there are only about 300 Palliative Medicine physicians being trained in ACGME-funded fellowships across the country. As physicians are retiring from practice, there is not an adequate number of trainees preparing to fill the gap.
Building upon a grant-funded program he ran for many years in Chicago, Dr. O’Mahony plans to offer primary palliative training for clinicians who are involved in the care of patients with chronic illness. Originally an in-person training program, it eventually evolved into a hybrid program with weekly webinars, allowing for greater reach.
“Through this training program, we've been training people around the country who have been using distance learning as it's become more prevalent over the course of the pandemic,” Dr. O’Mahony says.
He notes that UTMB’s Geriatric Medicine house calls team, which provides service to elderly, home-bound patients in Galveston County, has helped to fill some of the gaps locally, with expertise in such areas as pain management.
While he aims to grow his division with the addition of a few more physicians, Advanced Practice Providers, and social workers, Dr. O’Mahony also looks forward to working with his Internal Medicine colleagues to leverage all the available skill sets – ultimately developing a robust program that gives patients comfort and support throughout their illness.
 | Sean O'Mahony, MD is the Division Chief of Palliative Medicine at UTMB. Learn more about Palliative Medicine at UTMB Health. |