Dr. Morrison's study noted that there were 1,892 certified palliative medicine physicians as of July 2005 and 5,500 certified palliative nurses as of March 2005. It also noted that the number of postgraduate palliative medicine fellowships increased from 17 in 2000 to 53 in 2005.
Dr. Morrison said that the cost of a hospital-based palliative care program is directly related to the size of the hospital. At Mount Sinai Medical Center, which is a 1,000-bed teaching hospital, the palliative care program consists of two full-time physicians, four full-time nurse-practitioners, two full-time social workers, and consultation with chaplaincy and physical therapy.
“The expense of the program is far outweighed by the cost savings to our hospital for having it,” said Dr. Morrison, whose study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “For a 300-bed hospital, the team is probably going to be a physician, a nurse, a social worker, and consultation with other core services. For a 50-bed rural hospital, it may be that the primary person is a nurse-practitioner with a part-time physician as backup in consultation with other services in the hospital.”
To access a financial calculator that helps you estimate the cost of a palliative care program and the cost savings to your hospital, visit the Center to Advance Palliative Care's Web site at www.capc.org
'The expense of the program is far outweighed by the cost savings to our hospital for having it.' DR. MORRISON