Pre-requisite: PGY-1 and above
Duration for Elective: Flexible, 2-4 weeks
Rotation Director: Anthony Pastore, DO
Educational Objective
To provide the GME learner with a comprehensive, rural Hospice experience. Taking place in Aroostook County, the rotation will be centered around a Hospice House (Aroostook House of Comfort), but has opportunities to include home visits, long-term care facilities and potentially inpatient care at nearby AR Gould. The rotation will incorporate an interdisciplinary team of Attending Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Medical Directors, Nurses, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Chaplains, Bereavement Counselors and Volunteers and will provide the learner with a unique opportunity to see end-of-life care in a tight-knit rural community.
Experiences and Procedures
- Learn about hospice qualifying diagnoses and observe a diverse setting in which end-of-life care is provided
- Observe the different approaches practitioners take for comfort care / symptom management based on patient-specific details in addressing the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of individuals and their families through the final days and bereavement process
- View the barriers that rural patients have in accessing end-of-life care, and the creative solutions that can be enacted to providing these services at a variety of locations
- Learn about how a Hospice House is supported and ways of utilizing different community resources
Housing
Aroostook House of Comfort does not offer learner housing. Interested residents may seek reimbursement for housing expenses through the MERGE Collaborative. See the MERGE Housing Reimbursement Policy for more information.
