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VA BOSTON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM PROGRAM LEADERSHIP Jonathan Yeh, MD, Program Director, BIDMC Lara Michal Skarf, MD, Associate Program Director, VA Boston HCS More information on the BIDMC

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship. VA CLINICAL ROTATIONS INPATIENT CONSULTATION – ACUTE CARE, WEST ROXBURY The VA Boston palliative care program serves patients aged 22-100 years

with illnesses including cancer, neurological and end-stage cardiac, pulmonary, liver, and renal disease, addressing physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains of care for

veterans and families. Veterans are from diverse cultural backgrounds. The Palliative care team is consulted for various decisions which range from goals of care conversations, advance care

planning discussions, hospice referrals and end of life care. The fellows will be supervised by a diverse cultural population of physicians who have expertise in Geriatrics, General

Medicine, Oncology, Research and Palliative Care. This service sees 40 new patients per month and is staffed by a physician, NP, SW and RN team. While on service at the VA Brockton Hospice

and Palliative Care Unit, a 15-bed unit located in a long-term care facility at the VA, fellows will round daily on patients with the team, present patients and review the plan of care with

the nurse practitioner. Patients on this unit include veterans getting active treatment (e.g., daily radiation for head and neck cancer) and veterans at the end of life with complex symptoms

warranting inpatient hospice care. Fellows also have the opportunity to manage patients on the 1-2 bed acute inpatient palliative care/hospice unit while rotating at the West Roxbury VA.

HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE UNIT - BROCKTON While on service at the VA Brockton Hospice and Palliative Care Unit, a 15-bed unit located in a long-term care facility at the VA, fellows will

round daily on patients with the team, present patients and review the plan of care with the nurse practitioner. Patients on this unit include veterans getting active treatment (e.g., daily

radiation for head and neck cancer) and veterans at the end of life with complex symptoms warranting inpatient hospice care. Fellows also have the opportunity to provide consultation care to

veterans in our long-term care, short term rehab, inpatient psychiatry and long term spinal cord injury units on the Brockton Campus. PALLIATIVE CARE AMBULATORY CLINIC – WEST ROXBURY

Fellows will learn to provide longitudinal, ambulatory palliative care through weekly half-day sessions with the Palliative Care Clinic at BIDMC or VA Boston HCS. Patients at both sites are

referred for pain, non-pain symptom management, advanced care planning and psychosocial support. The VA clinic sees a variety of Veterans with advanced lung, liver, renal and cardiac disease

as well as Veterans with cancer, frailty and multimorbidity. Fellows will see assigned patients during each clinic session under the preceptorship of clinic staff. Our fellows take the lead

on communicating recommendations to referring providers, prescribing medications for symptom management, and following up with patients and caregivers by phone when necessary. To improve

the longitudinal care experience, patients are booked subsequently with the fellow whenever feasible. Fellows also have the opportunity to participate in a 1-2 week ambulatory rotation where

they can experience all of our palliative care clinics at VA Boston, including clinics embedded in oncology, nephrology and ALS as well as additional free standing clinics. ADVANCED VA

FELLOWSHIPS Fellows may be interested in applying to several additional fellowship programs available at the VA in order to continue research or educational projects. VA FELLOWSHIP IN

ADVANCED GERIATRICS - This VA fellowship offers post-residency, post-doctoral, and post-masters fellowships to physicians, dentists and associated health professions – including but not

limited to nurses, psychologists, social workers and pharmacists. Physicians whose initial certification is in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine or Psychiatry must also have completed an

accredited subspecialty residency in Geriatrics or another subspecialty. Special Fellows are expected to be board certified in their primary specialty and board eligible in their

subspecialty by the time of VA Fellowship in Advanced Geriatrics appointment and to meet credentialing and privileging requirements to qualify as a licensed independent practitioner. To

learn more:  https://www.boston.va.gov/Education/Trainee-Professions/Physician/GRECC/VA-New-England-GRECC-Fellowship-Programs-2019_10-01-19.docx (PDF) VA Fellowship in Advanced Geriatrics -

Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATION, EVALUATION AND RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP - This two-year fellowship will train you to use practice, inquiry,

and quality improvement to advance healthcare professional education and become an educational leader. The VABHS Fellowship will use educational theory, an interprofessional and diverse

faculty, strong academic affiliate relationships, and a partnership with the HPEER Coordinating Center to provide an exciting and innovative training experience for fellows. For more

information: Trainee Programs | VA Boston Health Care | Veterans Affairs VA Boston HPEER Criteria (PDF)