Hospice and Palliative Medicine Department Information

The Section of Palliative Medicine and Hospice reports clinically through the Department of Medicine and is fully integrated throughout the LVHN network. There are eight physicians and 14 nurse practitioners in the section, reporting through Lehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG).

Hospice

Our hospice includes two inpatient units and home services and operates under home health/hospice administration leadership. The hospice team is well-resourced and offers care that is unmatched in patient/family focus and quality standards. Learners benefit from the high-caliber hospice clinicians and staff with a full array of hospice services, recognized on the state and national level for its excellence in the delivery of end-of-life care.

OACIS/Palliative Medicine

OACIS/Palliative Medicine is the name of our palliative care program. Optimizing Advanced Complex Illness Support (OACIS) refers to our outpatient services, and Palliative Medicine refers to our inpatient service. The team benefits from dyad leadership, with clinical and administrative elements reporting through the Department of Medicine and the physician group. Fellows are afforded the opportunity to learn about both the clinical and administrative pieces that are necessary for sustainable palliative care. Due to some of our early trailblazing efforts, our work contributes to tools and resources utilized across the country, now the world, via the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). 

Our stellar MD and APN clinicians are complemented by nurses, social workers/counselors, medical assistants and administrative staff. Team cohesion and team health are supported priorities, as they are seen to be vital to do this work. 

We offer in-person and telemedicine options at all access points. Our fellows round in person at the Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest and Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg sites and provide tele consults to all other sites. Continuity of care is highlighted when patients are seen inpatient, and then in our office-based practice (OACIS Supportive Care) or our home-based practice (OACIS). 

Additional OACIS/Palliative Medicine department highlights include:

• Our inpatient team sees approximately 4,000 patients per year
• Our outpatient team, including home and office-based practices, sees approximately 1,800 patients per year, with a census up to 700 patients