Palliative care is care given to improve the quality of life of patients who have a serious or life-threatening disease, such as cancer. Palliative care is an approach to care that addresses the person as a whole, not just their disease. Palliative care can be provided at any stage of a serious illness, along with a curative treatment. The goal is to prevent or treat, as early as possible, the symptoms and side effects of the disease and its treatment, in addition to any related psychological, social, and spiritual problems. Palliative care takes a unique team based approach including our medical director, nurse practitioner, and a social worker to address both the physical and the psychosocial pieces of a serious illness, in an effort to provide an extra layer of support.
Palliative care is currently open on an outpatient basis solely to the patients receiving oncology care at the Gene Upshaw Cancer Center. The office of palliative care is conveniently located at the Cancer Center to accommodate cancer patients. The office hours are Monday-Thursday 9:00 am-5:00 pm, including answering service for coverage after-hours, on the weekends and holidays.
The team consists of:
- Dr. Nicole Jernick, Medical Director
- Dr. Johanna Koch
- Elena Guslikov, Nurse Practitioner
- Ashley Severson, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Jim Sturtevant, Administrative Director
Contact Elena Guslikov, AGACNP, MSN, RN, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, (530) 582-3264, or [email protected]
