IU Palliative Care

Welcome to The Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Indiana University!

Introduction

The American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine accredited Indiana University School of Medicine’s Palliative Medicine Fellowship in 2006, establishing the fellowship as one of 32 fellowships nationwide to achieve this accreditation.

Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) provides an outstanding learning environment for the fellowship. Located in the state capital and surrounded by a large and diverse medical center, the rich resources of the state’s only medical school offer a comprehensive educational experience. The medical center serves as a primary care center for Indianapolis, which has a population of nearly one million people. It is also a specialty referral center for the entire state.

The Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program at IUSM is dedicated to training individuals to develop expertise in the care of the terminally ill and to become leaders in the field of Palliative Medicine. (Click here to learn more about palliative care.) All fellows participate in a blend of monthly clinical rotations and continuity experiences to meet this goal. Trainees may elect a one-year clinical track or a two-year track preparing for a career in academic Palliative Medicine.

Core Clinical Experiences

Wishard Health Services: The fellowship is based at Wishard Memorial Hospital, which provides care to the population of Marion County. Wishard’s Palliative Care Program, which won the The Jim Wright Vulnerable Populations Award in 2005, provides inpatient and outpatient consultative services utilizing an expert interdisciplinary team. Fellows spend two to three months with the inpatient service, providing expert consultation for 35-50 patients each month and assisting with the education of residents, students, and other learners. For a small subset of patients, fellows have the opportunity to provide continuity care to those who are discharged to Lockefield Village, a nursing facility located adjacent to the hospital. Throughout the fellowship, the fellow works with the interdisciplinary team to provide outpatient consultative services and ambulatory palliative care, including clinic and home visit experiences.
Home Hospice and Abbie Hunt Bryce Home Experience: The Wishard Palliative Care Team works closely with area hospices, especially VNS of Central Indiana. Fellows work closely with the hospices in providing home care. Additionally, fellows see patients at the Abbie Hunt Bryce Home for the dying poor.
Methodist Hospital Yellow Rose Unit: Located several blocks from Wishard, Methodist Hospital (part of Clarian Health Partners) is also affiliated with IUSM. The Yellow Rose Unit at Methodist Hospital is a twelve-bed inpatient hospice and palliative care unit. It is the inpatient unit for the Ruth Lilly Hospice of Clarian. Fellows spend one to two months at this unit.
St. Vincent Inpatient Hospice Unit: St. Vincent’s has a 25 bed, free-standing inpatient hospice unit located on the northside of Indianapolis. Fellows spend one to two months on this unit.

Elective Clinical Experiences

Ethics
Anesthesia Pain
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Neurology
Interventional Radiology
Medical and Surgical Intensive Care
Geriatrics
Pediatric Palliative Care
International Hospice and Palliative Care (Kenya)

Conferences

Throughout the year, fellows participate in regular palliative medicine conferences, including didactics, journal club, and regular case discussions. The rich academic environment at IUSM allows for participation in a wide array of other beneficial conferences, including oncology grand rounds, tumor board, ethics seminars, and many others.

Two-Year Track

Fellows who elect the two-year track may benefit from selecting one of the following options:

Benefits

Book Stipend
Attendance at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine’s Annual Conference
IUSM Trainee Benefits

For application or general information, please feel free to e-mail us .