Spring (Vol. 11, No. 1) - San Francisco General Hospital Foundation

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2 S a n F r a n c i s c o G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l F o u n d a t i o n N e w s Palliative Care Service Continued from Page 1 with the purpose of that room. She was there for several days before she died. “Even though she didn’t have family to be with her, she was comfortable from a physical and emotional standpoint. Our staff visited with her and held her hand. It was so powerful to see the high quality of care someone could get, even when she was all alone.” But usually people who receive Palliative Care Services are not alone. “A person’s life affects those around them. Often the way that people address illness is as a family unit,” says Kinderman. “Our service helps families. People have been able to die here with their loved ones around them.” Epperhart recalls one patient who was taken out of the hospital’s acute setting to live out her last days in a comfort care suite. Family members were able to sleep in the room and be with her round the clock. “I went in late one night and saw about 20 family members around her bed. They brought lots of food and were able to spend her last days with her,” Epperhart says. “Four generations were there, including great-grandchildren. It was important for the children to come to a place that didn’t look like a hospital room. We gave this woman respect and dignity, and she died as she lived, with people around.” In addition to providing a space for family members to be, the Palliative Care Service helps them communicate with medical teams and connect with social service programs throughout the city. “We have helped to fill in some significant holes for patients and families,” says Kinderman. “Often after someone dies, there’s very little structure in place to help support the family. We’ve been able to provide support and continuity for families that are grieving and trying to navigate a complicated system after their loved ones have passed.” “Our goal is not only to provide excellent direct patient care, but to share those methods with other institutions.” As with all SFGH programs, cultural sensitivity and competency are critical components of the Palliative Care Service. Different cultures bring different views and traditions to the end of life. A recent survey found that, at the end of life, affordability of care is a top concern for Asians and Latinos; for African-Americans the concern is about finding providers who respect their culture; and treating pain and discomfort is paramount for Caucasians. “It’s so important to have awareness of different cultures,” says Epperhart. “About 40 percent of our patients have limited English proficiency. We work very closely with our interpreters. We have to understand that in certain cultures it’s not the patient who’s the decision maker. It can be the spouse or children. That’s part of their tradition.” Just as important is the spiritual component of the Palliative Care Service. In February, chaplain Eric Nefstead joined the Palliative Care Team. “Part of human dignity is about making choices that are true to your spirit. The work of our team is to try and help people do that,” says Nefstead. “We listen to patients’ hopes and fears. As they give of themselves, it helps us give of ourselves and then the world is freed of some fear and pain. We can all recognize the joy of living even in the sad moments of our dying or that of our loved one.” Nefstead, who has been working in end-of-life care for 15 years, says he wears two hats as the Palliative Care Service chaplain. First, he is a clinician who works directly with patients. “Many of the people we serve at San Francisco General have experienced trauma in the form of poverty, immigration and substance abuse. That can make them afraid and distrustful of others,” he says. “As a chaplain, I can help them find their own voice and desire amidst the bigger system.” Regina Epperhart, MSW, Social Worker; Caroline Maroten, RN, NP; and Anne Kinderman, MD, Director, members of the Supportive and Palliative Care Service, SFGH discuss patient care strategies. Nefstead is also a teacher in the SFGH Clinical Pastoral Education program, training those who provide spiritual services at SFGH and beyond. “Part of what I teach theological students and religious leaders is how to listen attentively to people near the end of their lives. As spiritual leaders, we can help people discover their own spiritual resources as they face the reality of their death,” he continues. “Then when our students leave here, they can bring what they’ve learned to others in other hospitals.” In fact, just about every aspect of the Palliative Care Service is seen as a teaching opportunity. “Our goal is not only to provide excellent direct patient care, but to share those methods with other institutions,” says Kinderman. “We can show others around the world what people can experience at the end of life.” There is a strong practical element to palliative care, too. While over half of Americans express a preference to die at home, only onequarter do and approximately one-half die in a hospital. As a result, end-of-life care is costly, consuming 10 to 12 percent of all healthcare costs and the majority of Medicare expenditures in the year prior to death. With palliative care, the most appropriate services are provided to each patient, often instead of invasive and unnecessary medical treatments. While the Palliative Care Service is a recent addition to SFGH, it is already receiving a warm reception. Early predictions were that services would be provided to about 150 patients a year. At the time of this writing (three months into its existence), the program has already served more than 70 patients. “In a short amount of time, we’ve been able to dramatically improve the level of care that people receive at the end of life,” says Kinderman. “That’s had a visible impact on patients, family and staff across the hospital.” “What’s great about working with the palliative care team is that each person brings a spirit of appreciation for the fullness of life,” adds Nefstead. “No one is just a doctor or nurse here. Everyone is a humanitarian.”
S a n F r a n c i s c o G e n e r a l H o s p i t a l F o u n d a t i o n N e w s Welcome New Board Members Amy Busch, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice Amy Busch, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who worked with child trauma victims at SF General Hospital, prior to starting her own psychotherapy practice. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF. Priscilla B. Geeslin Community Leader A native of Meriden, Connecticut, Ms. Geeslin earned a degree in economics from Marymount College and her MSLS degree from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. Ms. Geeslin has served on the boards of San Francisco’s French American International School, UCSF’s Friends of Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute and San Francisco Arts Education Project. She currently serves on the boards of the San Francisco Symphony, American Conservatory Theatre and is on the San Francisco Parks Trust, Friends of Alta Plaza Park Committee. She is married to Keith Geeslin and has a daughter, Catherine, and a son, Ned. Lisa Hauswirth Community Leader After spending 10 years in brand management at the Clorox Company, Ms. Hauswirth “retired” last year to pursue other interests. Since leaving Clorox, she has been a brand strategy and marketing advisor to Dropps, an emerging, innovative brand in the laundry detergent category. She has also been working on a pro-bono brand strategy project for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Ms. Hauswirth earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and has an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. For the past four years, she has been a trustee of the Stanley S. Langendorf foundation, a mid-sized private foundation that makes grants to both small and large organizations in San Francisco. Ms. Hauswirth’s most treasured role, however, is that of mom to her 8 year old daughter Emma and 6 year old son Cole. Walter S. Newman Community Leader Walter Newman has been married to Ellen Magnin Newman for 60 years. They have raised a family of three sons; Dr. Walter S. Newman, Jr. (family practice, San Jose, CA), John Newman, and Robert M. Newman. Tragically, Robert Newman succumbed to a brain tumor in 1981. At that time, Mr. Newman Co-Founded the National Brain Tumor Foundation to assist other families facing the same difficult diagnosis. Mr. Newman and his family recently traveled to France to accept his Chevaliers of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest honor, for his service during World War II. Mr. Newman is known for his leadership in numerous organizations including University High School (one of the founders), board service for the Foundation of City College of San Francisco, the National Brain Tumor Society, the San Francisco Symphony, and the 2004 SFGH Foundation's Hearts in San Francisco. Mr. Newman is the owner of WSN Enterprises, a real estate consultancy. He is a retired president of the San Francisco Planning Commission. Over the course of many years, he has served as president of several organizations including Temple Emanu-el and the Fine Arts Museum. Roland Pickens, MHA Senior Associate Administrator Primary Care, Medical Specialties, Radiology and Telemedicine Services, San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center Roland Pickens, Chief Operating Officer at SFGH, has over 20 years of experience in health care management. Prior to joining the Executive Team SFGH in 2001, Mr. Pickens held progressively responsible positions in a wide spectrum of the health care industry, including stints in academic medical centers, for profit acute care and psychiatric/substance abuse hospitals and not for profit hospitals. Mr. Pickens received his undergraduate degree in Public Health from Dillard University and his Master of Health Administration degree from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, both of which are located in New Orleans, LA. Mr. Pickens is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Connie Shanahan Community Leader Connie Shanahan’s passion for non-profit work started after she moved to San Francisco over 20 years ago. She has served on a variety of boards and committees including The Little Jim Club, Project Homeless Connect, Performing Arts Workshop, neighborhood beautification projects, and the Heroes & Hearts luncheon. She previously owned her own interior design business in the Bay Area. Ms. Shanahan grew up in Missouri, attended Southwest Missouri State University, moving to Denver where she met her husband, Kevin Shanahan. The Shanahans then moved to San Francisco and feel very fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. They enjoy many outdoor activities, reading, and involvement in community development projects. Michael A. West, MD, PhD, FACS, FCCM Professor and Vice-Chair of Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco and Chief of Surgery at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center Dr. West has authored or coauthored more than 160 articles, 30 chapters and 174 abstracts concerning sepsis in surgical intensive care units, endotoxin tolerance, surgical infections, and related topics, which have been published in peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of Trauma, Critical Care Medicine, Shock and Annals of Surgery. He also has conducted local, regional, national, and international invited presentations, symposia, and lectureships. He has extensive experience with sponsored clinical research studies, serving as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on more than 40 research projects in his field. Dr. West is a member of the American Surgical Association, the Society of University Surgeons, the Western Trauma Association, the Surgical Infection Society, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the American Association of Immunologists, the Society for Critical Care Medicine, among other associations. Dr. West is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the College of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM). Dr. West is a six-time recipient of the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Contribution presented by the Society of Critical Care Medicine. He is listed in Marquis’ Who's Who and America’s Top Surgeons. He is currently a member of the Shriner’s Hospitals Research Advisory Board, and a Governor of the American College of Surgeons and has served as a member of the Surgery, Anesthesiology and Trauma study section of the NIH. 3
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Spring (Vol. 11, No. 1) - San Francisco General Hospital Foundation

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