Heartlinks Expands Palliative Care Program

Heartlinks Hospice & Palliative Care has announced the addition of a new nurse practitioner, Christopher Monk, ARNP, in order to further expand its Palliative Care program in the Tri-Cities. The expansion follows the discontinuation of Chaplaincy Health Care’s palliative care program at the end of 2020. Heartlinks has provided palliative care to the community since 2007, and has increased their patient load by 35% since Chaplaincy discontinued their program in December. 
 
Heartlinks Palliative Care program is designed to enhance the quality of life and to help ease the difficulties associated with the disease process that is progressively worsening. Heartlinks is working closely with a broader coalition of community health providers to further expand its palliative care program to fit community need.
 
Patients who think palliative care would be helpful should discuss this with their primary care doctor. Patients remain under the care of their own physicians. Palliative care professionals can recommend ways to manage physical symptoms, discuss “next steps” and offer access to other professionals to address emotional and spiritual symptoms that can be a part of chronic and often life-limiting illnesses.
 
Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, and Veteran’s Benefits mostly reimburse palliative care services, and the remaining amount is covered by community support and donations. As the only active provider of this service locally, donations are encouraged as they continue to provide this critical care for our communities. To learn more about palliative care, please visit: www.heartlinkshospice.org