While appreciated by their colleagues for the caring and compassionate work done every day, palliative care services however go largely unnoticed by the general public.
In an attempt to raise awareness and educate more people about their efforts in providing support to patients with little or no hope of recovery, Jamaica Hospital’s Palliative Care Department recently accepted an offer to be the subject of a web-based documentary about palliative care services.
Three students from the Columbia School of Journalism became interested in the work performed by the palliative care staff and requested permission to shadow them as they met with patients, many of whom rely on them to assist with important end of life decisions. The students spent weeks speaking with and learning from the Palliative Care team, led by Alan Roth, DO , Chief of Palliative Care Services, and supported by Lourdes Merlo, MD, Erik Carrasco, MD,Lisa Fox, LCSW and James Nunes, Chaplain.
By witnessing the staff’s daily interactions with patients, and in some cases, interviewing consenting patients and families, the students were also given a sense of how much the patients and families rely on the palliative care team and appreciate their help. The project really conveys how important the service is to patients, and at the same time, although it can be very difficult, is also rewarding for the palliative care team.