Institute News

Palliative Care Nurse, Educator to Receive 3^rd annual Doris A. Howell, MD, Award

Institute Honors Christine Knutson, RN, MSN, with Award Named for Palliative Care Pioneer

Dec. 21, 2018 (SAN DIEGO) – A longtime nurse, educator, and advocate who has devoted her career to expanding access to hospice and palliative care for patients and families in San Diego County has been named the 2018 recipient of the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care’s Doris A. Howell, MD, Award for Advancing Palliative Care.

Christine B. Knutson, RN, MSN, will be presented with the annual award on Jan. 10 during a ceremony at the Institute’s headquarters at California State University San Marcos. The invitation-only event will also pay tribute to the remarkable life and legacy of Dr. Howell, who died Nov. 23, at the age of 94–just shy of her 95^th birthday.

Dr. Howell was a legendary physician in pediatric hematology, oncology and community medicine who pioneered the hospice movement in San Diego, creating an innovative model recognized across the country. In a 2013 article, the then-president of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization called Dr. Howell “an icon in our field.”

[Read more…] about 3rd Annual Doris A. Howell Award Awarded to a Palliative Care Nurse!

Five academic researchers awarded seed grants by the Gary and Mary West Foundation to advance palliative care research

$50,000 in research funding announced last week by CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care

Oct. 22, 2018 (SAN DIEGO) – Five palliative care researchers from universities across the country have been awarded a total of $50,000 in seed grants for projects aimed at improving care for seniors experiencing serious or life-limiting illness, or strengthening support for family caregivers.

The grants, funded by the Gary and Mary West Foundation, were awarded at the California State University Shiley Institute for Palliative Care’s two-day 2018 National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education and Research, held Oct. 11-12 in San Diego.

[Read more…] about 2018 Seed Grant Award Winners Announced

New Communication Courses for Clinicians

Oct. 18, 2018 (SAN DIEGO) – Powerful new online courses designed to improve communication skills for clinicians working with seriously ill patients and families are now available from the California State University for Palliative Care, through a unique partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Communication (IHC).

The self-paced courses are the result of a yearlong collaboration between the two organizations and are focused on strengthening key skills that carry especially high stakes for clinicians and patients. Multiple studies have shown that poor communication in healthcare settings can lead to unnecessary hospital stays, costly malpractice suits, clinician burnout and undue patient and family suffering.

[Read more…] about Palliative Care Clinician Communication Training Available

Palliative Care Education Scholarships Available for Healthcare Professionals in San Diego County

SAN DIEGO — In honor of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month in November, $25,000 in scholarships are being offered to San Diego County healthcare professionals seeking high-quality, online training in palliative care.

The Donald and Darlene Marcos Shiley Scholarships are available through the California State University Institute of Palliative Care to cover the full cost of tuition in any of the Institute’s courses.

[Read more…] about 2018 San Diego Professionals Scholarships Announced