By Dr. Renante Ignacio, Medical Director at St. Luke Health Services

Kudos to the St. Luke organization for your formidable, undaunted and courageous staff! Your commitment and dedication has helped us to brave this pandemic.

It is in the most difficult times that you can gain strength, and in darkness that you see the light.

Palliative Care2When it seems hopeless (no cure in sight at that time), is when our selfless reflex helps us to provide support and comfort to those who are sick and afflicted by the virus.

Helping us navigate these turbulent time are the Palliative Care principles and ideals.

Our years of expertise in advance care planning, communication skills and person centered care ideologies were our only tools to deliver care and help and to provide support and comfort to our residents and their families. The focus of care has quickly shifted from aggressive medical care and treatment to palliative care.

Palliative Care has also provided an added layer of support to family members who cannot be at the bedside with their love one and cannot be the source of answers to questions and help  manage difficult emotions.

As a testimony to how Palliative Care has defined us as an institution, the Mother Cabrini Foundation has awarded us a grant to further nurture and promote this new frontier in Medicine.

We invite all our residents, their families and our staff to be a part of this great endeavor. For after all, when the going gets tough again, Palliative Care will certainly help keep us going!

This article is taken from the June 2021 edition of the the St. Luke Timepiece employee newsletter. Thank you Dr. Ignacio for contributing this article.