Palliative Medicine Program

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center's Palliative Medicine program assists patients, families and caregivers with end-of-life issues. Our multidisciplinary team strives to be helpful in addressing an issue that is an uncomfortable subject to many individuals.

Our approach encourages open communication with patients and families, helps identify and carry out individualized goals for end-of-life care and addresses the medical, emotional, psychological and spiritual issues that occur.

Scope of Services
We are available for adult patients with serious and/or terminal illness. Unlike traditional hospice referrals, we do not require patients have a prognosis for survival of six months or less, nor that all active treatment be discontinued.

We have a clear and thorough understanding of end-of-life care and can respond to the complexities of care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. Our team can provide comprehensive care for patients on any hospital floor and offer consultation services to primary and specialty physicians.

We will work with referring physicians to manage the care of patients most effectively. If requested by the referring physicians, the palliative care team can accept the patient and assume primary management responsibilities.

Core Palliative Services

Assessment and management of symptoms including pain, dyspnea, depression, anxiety and delirium.
Assessment and communication of estimated prognosis.
Assistance for patients and families to identify personal goals for end-of-life care.
Assessment and management of patients' and families' emotional and spiritual needs.
Coordination of therapies, equipment and other care resources to optimize functional status and overall quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses.

Benefits

The Palliative Medicine Program offers benefits to physicians, patients and families.

It improves understanding of issues related to death and dying for physicians, patients and their families.
It reduces transfers of patients between different care settings during the final stages of life and increases continuity of care.
It improves advance planning regarding medical interventions during the final stage of life.
And it improves symptom control of patients with life-limiting illnesses.

Key Personnel
Stacie Pinderhughes, MD, is the director of the Palliative Medicine Program. She is certified in Palliative Medicine, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine. Dr. Pinderhughes received her Medical Degree from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey. She completed her residency at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J.

Mary Whitmer, RN, MSN, FNP, APRN, BC-PCM, is certified in hospice and palliative care nursing. Ms. Whitmer has extensive experience in treating end-of-life patients with more than 20 years experience as a hospice case manager. She received her nursing degree from Bowling Green University in Ohio and completed a Master's degree in nursing and a nurse practitionership program at Arizona State University.

Paul E. Stander, MD, FACP, is Banner Good Samaritan's chief medical officer. Dr. Stander obtained his medical degree at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He spent three years in Wisconsin completing an Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee before moving to Arizona.

Selma Kendrick, RN, MSN, is the program's nursing director. Ms. Kendrick has been with Banner Good Samaritan since 1973 and has extensive experience in dealing with end-of-life patients as a staff nurse. She is also nursing director of the Hematology and Oncology service, the Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit and the Banner Blood and Marrow Transplant Program.

For more information on the Palliative Medicine Program at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center or to schedule an appointment to speak with a program representative, please call Palliative Medicine nurse practitioner Mary Whitmer, (602) 839-6078, or the on-call pager at (602) 817-8276.