The Palliative Medicine Consult Service functions
as an inpatient consultation service in Jennie Sealy Hospital and TDCJ
Hospital Galveston to provide ongoing consultations, support, and
education to hospital professionals and patient families to improve the
care of patients with advanced stages of illness. We seek to provide
symptom management and relief from suffering, enhance communication
about illness and death, and improve the quality of living for patients
and their families. The team helps make recommendations for the
coordination of care where needed and assist the primary healthcare
team, patients, and families in the delivery of safe, excellent,
compassionate, and seamless care throughout the continuum of treatment.
The Palliative Medicine Team also manages the Inpatient Hospice Service (GIP)
in collaboration with three contracted Hospice companies. GIP may be
initiated when the interdisciplinary group determines that the patient’s
medical condition warrants a short-term inpatient stay for symptom
management that cannot feasibly be provided in other settings.