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Drs. Tamara Sacks and Jennie Webb-Wright (M.D. ’95) started their medical careers interested in areas other than palliative care. A genetic researcher and private practitioner respectively, both wanted to spend more time with patients and less time in the laboratory or dealing with insurance companies.
“I was in private practice for several years and always disliked how rushed I was with my patients,” said Webb-Wright. “I have truly found my niche in palliative care as it allows me time with people, enabling me to treat the whole patient.”
Addressing the needs of the whole patient, while working with the patient and his family, is a hallmark of palliative care. Treatment is aimed at the relief of suffering and improvement of the quality of life for people who are living with advanced or chronic illness. “Palliative care is a fairly new discipline,” noted Sacks. “Many people believe palliative care and hospice care are one in the same. Palliative care is, in fact, more than a morphine drip. It is complicated internal medicine, which takes into consideration the whole patient, with multiple co-morbidities. We are trained in symptom management and fixing what we can reverse, but also acknowledging what we can’t. Our goal here is to treat symptoms and get the patient stable enough to leave the hospital if possible.”
An 11-bed unit that serves all, including the poor and medically underserved, the Thomas Palliative Care Unit offers patients innovative pain management, massage therapy, reflexology, pet therapy, physical and occupational therapy, social work, and chaplain services among other tools to help them better cope and attain a more normal quality of life. In recognition of its success, the Center to Advance Palliative Care, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, recognized the unit as one of the top six palliative care leadership centers in the country.
Sacks and Webb-Wright are completing palliative care fellowships made possible due to the generosity of Dr. Robert T. Mendle (M.D. ’73) who gave $25,000 through the Stuart Fund, which he directs to fund these fellowships. A practicing internist for almost 30 years, Mendle also is associate clinical professor at the University of San Francisco. “As a general internist, I’m aware of the huge need for palliative care,” said Mendle. “One of the toughest challenges physicians face is helping patients come to terms with serious diseases and end of life issues. That’s why I was eager to support the medical school’s efforts surrounding palliative care.”
Founded in 1981 at Retreat Hospital and originally called the Thomas Hospice due to a grant from the George D. Thomas Foundation, the Thomas Hospice was then moved to the fourth floor of North Hospital in 2000. The name was eventually changed to the Thomas Palliative Care Unit in order to reflect more accurately how the unit operates. “It’s particularly gratifying when an alumnus notes the work being done here and takes an extra step to support it financially,” said Dr. Thomas J. Smith, chief of hematology/oncology and director of the unit.
Both Sacks and Webb-Wright are dedicated to spreading the word about palliative care. As part of their fellowship, they work closely not only with physicians throughout the VCU Medical Center, but with hospice nurses for Crater Community Hospice, accompanying them on home visits monthly. “Many physicians don’t know what palliative care is,” noted Sacks. “One of our main goals is to educate others about the option of and benefits of palliative care.”
Both physicians intend to take back to their communities what they learned once their fellowships are over. Sacks will return to Northern Virginia where she hopes to work in both inpatient and outpatient consultation. Webb-Wright, who currently lives in Whitestone, Va., wants to work in the Northern Neck as a palliative care physician. “The opportunity to practice palliative medicine allows me to serve others in a field that optimally uses the gifts I have as a physician,” said Webb-Wright. “I am thankful for the way this fellowship has completely changed my career path. Through what I have learned during the past year, I feel much more capable of helping my patients who are suffering with life limiting illness.” “The skills I have learned during this year, coupled with my internist training, will enable me to take better care of my patients,” said Sacks. “I am confident that I can still help people, even when their disease cannot be cured.”
For more information about the Thomas Palliative Care Unit or how you can make a donation to the Thomas Palliative Care Unit Fund, please contact Sharon Larkins-Pederson, Senior Development Officer, at (804) 828-4599 or slarkins@vcu.edu. |
