Coleman Fellows Palliative Medicine Training Program

Interdisciplinary Training for Clinicians

Program Description

Background and Mission

In 2012, the Coleman Foundation of Chicago awarded a large grant to support the Chicagoland Palliative Medicine Physician Collective in offering a professional training program for physicians and nurses across Chicago to improve the quality and access to palliative care services for patients with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The first cohort of physicians and nurses will complete the 2-year training in February 2015. A renewed grant cycle is supporting phase 2 of the Coleman Palliative Medicine Training Program and welcoming a new cohort of interdisciplinary health care providers from social work, chaplaincy and medicine, who provide care to adult and pediatric patients.

The Application Process

Physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplains employed part or full-time at Chicago area health care organizations are eligible to apply as incoming Fellows. Hospice employees are not in the target audience. Individuals are not required to be in a palliative care or supportive care position at their workplace. However, there needs to be an expressed commitment by institutional leadership to develop a palliative care program and the opportunity for such a position. Individuals who demonstrate a strong commitment and ability to improve access to palliative care in their health care systems, as well as the support and buy-in for implementing performance improvement projects from hospital leadership, will be favored. Applications are due by November 1, 2014.

Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Training for Fellows

The 2-year training program for Fellows consists of: online self-directed learning, bi-annual workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and the development, implementation and evaluation of a practice improvement project tailored to the palliative care needs at Fellows’ health care organizations. One-on-one mentoring provides a rich learning opportunity for Fellows to observe mentors’ practices, and receive guidance around practice improvements projects. Projects should have measurable goals and outcomes that can be followed over time. Fellows will be expected to report preliminary and final outcomes.

The training will be customized for each discipline in regard to Fellow and mentor pairings and e-learning curricula. It is designed to be incorporated into the schedule of a full-time clinician. Fellows who meet program requirements will receive a $5,000 stipend. For more information about program requirements and examples of practice improvement projects, please visit the program website at http://colemanpalliative.uchicago.edu/.

Engaging Leadership to Ensure Success

Institutional support is essential for effective, lasting quality improvements. Phase 2 introduces a leadership track for a single or pair of leaders or supervisors to champion palliative care and learn how it benefits patient satisfaction and financials. Leaders are introduced to the work of the Coleman Palliative Care Training Community at the Fellows Project Showcase on March 13, 2015. In May 2015, there will be Leadership Summit to address palliative issues facing healthcare organizations in the Chicago area. Leaders will set institutional goals linked to Fellows’ and Junior Mentors’ practice improvement projects, meet bi-annually with their team to monitor progress and outcomes, and provide outcomes data on measures such as cost, utilization, patient and family satisfaction and pain management.

Important Dates*

November 1, 2014 / Applications due
January 15, 2015 / Notification letters to be sent
March 13, 2015 / Poster Walk and Awards Ceremony: Junior Mentors, Fellows, Leadership
March 13-14, 2015 / Fellows 2-day Palliative Care Intensive
May 2015 (Date TBD) / Leadership Summit

*Future biannual workshop dates TBA

Please send an email regarding intent to apply to .

Thank you.

The Coleman Palliative Medicine Core Working Group

Project Directors

Sean O’Mahony, MB, BCH, BAO Rush University

Stacie Levine, MD, FAAHPM University of Chicago

Core Faculty

Ileana M. Leyva, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM Central DuPage Hospital, Cadence Health

Joel E. Frader, MD Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

George Fritchett, DMin, PhD Rush University Medical Center

Holly Nelson-Becker, PhD Loyola School of Social Work

Catherine Deamant, MD Stroger Hospital

Aziz Ansari, MD Loyola University Medical Center

Project Coordinator

Aliza Baron, MA University of Chicago