Dana-Farber appointed as palliative care learning center

BOSTON-The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has been named a consulting hospital for palliative care programs nationwide. The Boston-based center has been designated as a learning lab by the Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET) of the American Hospital Association. Dana-Farber has been recognized for possessing exemplary palliative-care services. Its Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT), for example, has provided end-of-life care for children since its inception in 1997 (see article below). PACT manages palliative care programs for Dana-Farber, Children’s Hospital, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Learning lab hospitals serve as educational centers for healthcare facilities that are looking to create or improve their own palliative care programs. As a learning lab, Dana Farber will guide representatives through the process of setting up and maintaining a palliative care service.

The program, provided at no charge, is divided into three phases-the pre-site visit in which participants receive preliminary materials, including the curriculum and questions designed to assess the hospital’s strengths and weaknesses; the day-long site visit to a palliative care program at a host hospital (the learning lab); and the post-site visit to receive feedback and support as the participant implements its new program.

Currently, there are six other hospitals that act as learning labs through the Hospital-Based Palliative Care Consortium (HBPCC), which is funded by a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (see Table).

To participate in the HBPCC and request a site visit, contact Deb Bohr, project director, at (646) 678-4280 or

dbohr@aha.org

.