IAHPC Traveling Scholar's Report
The International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care provided a Traveling Scholarship to me to participate in the International Palliative Medicine Training Program at San Diego Hospice for Palliative Care, San Diego, California.
To be included as one of the fellows of an international palliative medicine training program was a great pleasure. The program was modeled on the training standards for fellowship training in the United States.
Pain relief and palliative care are the major unaddressed public health problems in my country. As there are over 43,000 deaths per year in Georgia, over 25,000 persons per year (60%) need palliative care. That’s why it is so important to learn and develop competence as a palliative medicine specialist.
San Diego Hospice and Palliative Care (SDHPC) is one of the best places to learn, and improve one’s practical skills. To be able to follow Dr. Frank D. Ferris the Medical Director’s palliative care standards/outcome measures and to communicate with the entire multidisciplinary team was so helpful and important for me. Dr. Ferris recognized our needs and made every effort possible for us to realize them.
The fellowship program included a study course and practical work. The participation on daily nursing reports, attending rounds, observing planning and delivery of palliative care services, attending meetings and discussions with other SDHPC physicians and members of the interdisciplinary team was extremely helpful. I was delighted to have had the opportunity to describe our program in Georgia during a weekly conference. It provided me the opportunity to discuss our problems, learn possible ways to solve them, and share experiences with colleagues from the San Diego Hospice.
During the fellowship program, I had the opportunity to participate in home-care visits and to provide wound care for terminally ill patients.
I participated in meetings with patient’s family that provided me an opportunity to become familiar with a different culture and improve my communication skills.
After this fellowship program, I will continue to practice palliative care as an integral member of the hospice and palliative care team at the home-care-mobile team of the Palliative Care Association “Humanists’ Union” as well as at the National Cancer Centre of Tbilisi, Georgia.
Finally, I would like to thank Liliana De Lima & the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, San Diego Hospice and Palliative Care, Dr. Frank D. Ferris and his team, the Palliative Care Association “Humanists’ Union” and Prof. Dimitri Kordzaya for all the support they provided to me in order to make this fellowship possible.
Many thanks to all of you for everything you have done for me!
Sincerely,
Tamari Rukhadze MD. Oncologist,
Coordinator of Palliative Home Care Service in Tbilisi, Georgia
Palliative Care Association – “Humanists’ Union”
Prof. A. Gvamichava Memorial National Cancer Centre of Tbilisi, Georgia
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