Developing a VA Palliative Care Program

Marcos L. Montagnini, MD, Heather M. Smith, PhD, Mary E. Moat, RN, MSN, Trisha O'Leary MSW, LCSW, Kathleen A. Ojeda, RN, MSN, and Edward Lisowski, MED, BCC

At the time of this writing, Dr. Montagnini was the palliative care program director at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center (ZVAMC) and an associate professor of medicine in the division of geriatric medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, both in Milwaukee. He is now the director of the palliative care program and the medical director of the home-based primary care program at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and an associate professor of internal medicine in the division of geriatric medicine and the director of the hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at the University of Michigan, both in Ann Arbor, MI. Additionally, he is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Smith is a staff psychologist and the director of the interprofessional fellowship in palliative care at the ZVAMC and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Ms. Moat is a geriatric nurse practitioner, with advanced hospice and palliative care certification, on the palliative care unit (PCU); Ms. O'Leary is a social worker on the PCU and the palliative care program coordinator; Ms. Ojeda was formerly the nurse manager on the PCU and now serves as manager of the nurse resource team; and Mr. Lisowski is a chaplain; all at the ZVAMC.