PAMF Palliative Care and Advanced Illness Management

When you face the overwhelming needs that come with a serious illness or chronic condition, we can help. Palliative Care and Support Services (PCSS) and Advanced Illness Management (AIM) programs at Palo Alto Medical Foundation partner with you to manage symptoms, provide support and improve quality of life.

Featured Services

Options for People Facing Serious Illness

If you are facing serious illness, you and your family have options for the journey. We offer care in the comfort of your home, at nursing homes, during hospitalizations and in our clinics. Compassionate doctors, nurses, social workers and other specialists provide an extra level of support in coordination with your primary care doctor and other caregivers.

We can provide education and support for you and your loved ones. We’ll work closely with you and all of your healthcare providers to develop a care plan based on your wishes, concerns and lifestyle, empowering you to better manage your condition. The Sutter Health network also works collaboratively with Home Health and Hospice services for people recuperating from short-term illnesses or managing chronic condition.

Sutter’s AIM program garners national recognition for its best practices. In addition, several of our Sutter Care at Home centers have earned Top Agency awards from HomeCare Elite—the only performance recognition of its kind in the home health industry.

Michael Cohn, M.D., PAMF Palliative Care

Dr. Cohn, a hospice & palliative specialist, talks about palliative care medicine to help support patients with advanced chronic illnesses. A palliative care team works with patients & families to coordinate care & help them manage their illnesses.

Michael Cohn, M.D., PAMF Palliative Care

Steve Lai, M.D., PAMF Palliative Care

Dr. Lai, gerontologist, explains palliative medicine vs. hospice care. Hospice focus is comfort at the end of life. Palliative care doctors works with patients with chronic illnesses & their families to help them experience improved quality.

Steve Lai, M.D., PAMF Palliative Care

Health Care at Home

Home Health Care

If you’re recuperating from a serious illness or facing a chronic condition, get comforting care with home health services in the Sutter Health network. Our visiting nurses, speech and occupational therapists, and other healthcare professionals deliver high-quality, personalized care at home to meet your needs.

Patient Stories

Palliative Care Program Helps Family Say Goodbye

A patient's daughter describes how PAMF's palliative care program makes comfort a top priority while supporting loved ones.

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Pain Research

In medicine, pain relates to the perception of a sensation that hurts. Only the person who is experiencing the pain can describe it properly. Research seeks to understand all types of pain, how to stop it or how to lessen it to improve a person’s quality of life.

Sutter Health Pain Research Sutter Health Pain Research