Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship

The state of Nebraska currently has limited access to specialty level palliative care services. The UNMC fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine initially aims to improve access to and quality of palliative care services in the state of Nebraska and surrounding region through training of physicians to expand the palliative care workforce at a specialty level. Graduates will additionally improve palliative care services indirectly through teaching primary palliative care skills to colleagues and medical learners as well as through leadership roles in their future work environments. While initial aims focus on the development of graduates to become expert clinicians, clinician educators, and leaders within their health systems, future aims for the program as it matures will include further focus on research and public health initiatives.

The mission of the UNMC fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine is to train physicians to become:

• Expert clinicians in team-based, whole person symptom management.
• Expert communicators and educators in supporting patients, families, and colleagues.
• Leaders within health systems at a local, regional, and national level with regards to navigating the complex course of serious illness.

At the end of the fellowship, graduates will be eligible for board certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine and can pursue careers focused on providing Palliative Care to either pediatric or adult patients in inpatient and outpatient settings in either academic or community practice.