The Palliative Care Clinic, previously on the third floor of Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks, has relocated to remain embedded in the Internal Medicine Clinic on the second floor of Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks.
Now located in suite 20400 on the north side of the outpatient medical complex, the clinic is best accessed from the front parking lot, entering through Entrance D. Patients requiring additional assistance such as a wheelchair or directions to the new space can inquire at the front desk near the entrance.
“We see all patients who might benefit from palliative care,” said Sara Martin, MD, medical director of VUMC Outpatient Palliative Care. “That can be patients with lung, liver, heart, and kidney disease and neurological disorders, as well as cancer patients. With the Vanderbilt Lung Institute and the Vanderbilt Breast Center located at One Hundred Oaks, it is convenient for those patients to access our services as well.”
A referral from a treating physician is required, and palliative care is covered by insurance providers, Martin added. The One Hundred Oaks location covers approximately 180 patient visits a month. Clinic team members include Martin, Jody Barnwell-Smith, DNP, Nancy Koger, RN, and chaplain Ian Cullen, MDiv.
Palliative care is different from hospice or end-of-life care in that the key focus is to support and enhance an individual’s quality of life through a serious illness at any point in their course of treatment. Patients receiving palliative care services might be receiving curative treatment for a serious illness, and once their treatment is completed, they might no longer require palliative care support.
“Palliative care is a medical specialty, and we specialize in treating patients with serious illness,” Martin explained. “Our whole goal is helping the person feel as well as possible for as long as possible. So, we’re happy to see patients who want to focus on quality of life while living with a serious illness.”
Palliative care providers can assist with goals of care, decision-making, pain and symptom management, and supportive resources to improve quality of life. Palliative care can also be a welcome support for patients’ families as they assist their loved one and can reduce reliance on acute care services such as a hospital emergency department.
Palliative Care was formally established at Vanderbilt Health in 2006, and services now include both an inpatient unit at Vanderbilt University Hospital and outpatient clinics. Providers include specially trained physicians, advanced practice providers, a licensed clinical social worker, a chaplain and case managers.
In addition to the Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks Palliative Care Clinic, outpatient palliative care for Vanderbilt Oncology patients is also provided through the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Supportive and Palliative Oncology Clinic (SPOC) network with locations on the Main Campus and in Belle Meade, Cool Springs and Lebanon. Outpatient palliative care is also provided at the multidisciplinary ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Clinic at Village at Vanderbilt.
While the SPOC clinics require a referral from a Vanderbilt Health treating provider, the Palliative Care Clinic at Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks sees patients from all referring providers, whether affiliated with Vanderbilt Health or not.
“We are here as a resource for patients and their families, in many of the same clinical spaces where they are receiving treatments for serious illness,” Martin said. “Every individual’s needs are different as they experience significant health challenges, and every individual’s journey can take a unique path. We walk alongside our patients and their families, collaborating with their treatment specialists, to empower them to live as comfortably as possible.”
