Palliative Care Program Led by USD Nursing Benefits from Bush Foundation Grant
The mission of the coalition is to foster an increased understanding and application of palliative care in South Dakota and the region. Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life for patients and their families facing challenges associated with a life-threatening illness.
The Bush Foundation grant allows the coalition to continue their training and education work, including allowing USD’s nursing department to utilize USD’s Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) technology for training and mentoring purposes. With ECHO, subject or content experts are connected through technology with health care practitioners in local communities. This amplifies and spreads specialized knowledge, increasing the capacity to help those in underserved areas.
When the coalition was first established in 2015, its focus was on advanced care planning which is an important pillar of palliative care. That emphasis is now expanding to other aspects of palliative care.
Project director is Sabina Kupershmidt, Ph.D., and clinical director is Cheryl Fischbach, DNP, both of USD nursing. Numerous community partners including Avera Palliative Care Services, the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations and Monument Health participate in and benefit from the programming. A geographic emphasis of the project is to serve rural and underserved areas of the state and region.
