Nurses in a classroom learning about palliative care

Education

Our Education and Academic Projects

The Adult Palliative Care Service’s faculty and staff are engaged in a number of educational initiatives throughout the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) with the mission to improve palliative care services provided to patients across their life span. By providing education, we are teaching the principles and practices of palliative care, communication skills, symptom management, and end-of-life care, as well as ethical and legal issues related to palliative care.

Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Resource Champion (IPRC) Program

This a one-year program offered to NYP and Columbia University Irving Medical Center nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and social workers to increase their knowledge and skills in the area of palliative care.

Communication Skills Training

We have created a communication skills curriculum powered by VitalTalk, for medical students, surgery residents, oncology fellows, geriatrics/palliative care fellows, and emergency clinicians, and others. This curriculum is led by the members of the palliative care service who are certified faculty in VitalTalk. We are in the process of expanding this curriculum to other trainees and faculty.

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program

In 2010, Columbia received approval from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to formally establish the HPM Fellowship Program.