title: A novel approach to hospital palliative care: an expanded role for counselors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A large tertiary hospital in central Georgia has found a novel approach to hospital palliative care.
  
  
  METHODS
  It is unique in that the approach has a strong counseling base in providing the palliative service, rather than major reliance on advance practice nurses or palliative physicians. The Medical Center of Central Georgia employs master's prepared counselors who spend the hours needed to assist families in making difficult end-of-life decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a family systems therapy approach, these counselors have developed the Transitions and Palliative Care Therapy Model, which has proved to be a successful means of providing the services. The model includes the "7 Core Components of Communication and Decision Making," which gives the counselors actual interventions to use in working through these complex cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The growth of the program over 7 years is staggering with the outcomes far exceeding even the predicted volume from the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The model has the counselor at the heart of the team, keeping the communication open and flowing. The Transitions and Palliative Care Therapy Model has become an accepted standard of practice at Medical Center of Central Georgia and continues to be a successful means of managing the most complex cases in the hospital.
authors.affiliation: Center for Palliative Care/Transitions, Medical Center of Central Georgia, Macon, Georgia 31201, USA.
authors.forename: Carol W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Babcock
authors.forename: Larry E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D003376:Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005196:Family Therapy; D005845:Georgia; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010166:Palliative Care; D024382:Professional Role