Five academic researchers were recently awarded $45,000 in grants to advance palliative care education and research aimed at improving care and quality of life for the country’s most chronically ill patients.
The funding was provided by the Gary and Mary West Foundation, with awards announced at the California State University Shiley Institute for Palliative Care’s Second National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education and Research, held Sept. 28-29 near San Diego.
Grant recipients were:
- Brian Carpenter, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, for his project, “Enhancing Palliative Care Knowledge Through a National Lifelong Learning Network.”
- Ronit Elk, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, for development of “Community-Engaged Hospitalists Training.”
- Joy Goebel, RN, MN, Ph.D., FPCN, Associate Professor of Nursing and Faculty Director of the CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care at Long Beach, for the project, “Increasing Palliative Care within the Latino Community.”
- Wendell Hanna, Ph.D., Professor of Music Education, San Francisco State University, for the project, “Somatic Movement with Music Protocol Development and Implementation for Seniors in Hospice Care.”
- Thanh Huynh Neville, MD, Assistant Professor-in-Residence, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, for the project,“Creating a Meaningful End of Life Experience for Older Patients.”
“We are pleased to support academic research efforts designed to increase the use of palliative care so it becomes a standard of practice for patients with serious illnesses in all care settings,” said Brenda Schmitthenner, program officer for successful aging at the Gary and Mary West Foundation. “This year’s seed grant funding helps fuel innovation, research and education in palliative care to improve care and enhance quality of life for seniors and family caregivers – a key part of our Foundation’s work to enable successful aging.”
The five awardees will carry out their research over the next year and present their findings at the 2018 symposium, Oct. 11-12 at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay in San Diego.
About the California State University Shiley Institute for Palliative Care
The CSU Shiley Institute for Palliative Care is dedicated to increasing access to palliative care by educating current and future health professionals to better serve a growing number of people with life-limiting illness. Visit csupalliativecare.org or call 760-758-4006.
About West Health and the Gary and Mary West Foundation
Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health includes the nonprofit and nonpartisan Gary and Mary West Health Institute and Gary and Mary West Foundation in San Diego, and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. These organizations are working together toward a shared mission dedicated to enabling seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. Visit westhealth.org and follow @westhealth.
