Capito legislation aims to enhance nation’s palliative, hospice care options

Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on Wednesday would help grow and improve the nation’s palliative care and hospice workforce to provide better quality of care to patients with life-threatening illnesses.

The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) would establish fellowship programs within new Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers to provide short-term intensive courses on palliative care and to provide supplemental training to faculty members of medical schools. The goal of palliative care is to provide relief from symptoms and to provide quality of life for those suffering from a serious illness.

“As someone who has cared for aging parents, I understand how important palliative and hospice care is and how much support and comfort it provides to patients and their families,” Capito said. “I feel strongly we must strengthen training and education options to those involved in these fields so we can continue delivering quality care for those in the final stages of life. That is why I am joining with my colleague U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to introduce this legislation that will help so many facing serious illnesses.”

The bill would establish grants for medical schools, teaching hospitals and graduate medical school programs to help train physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine, and it would create incentives for hospice and palliative nurse training.

Baldwin said, “We must do more to help grow and sustain our health care workforce to safeguard and improve the quality of care for the growing number of patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses.”

The National Institutes of Health would be directed to use existing authorities and funds to expand palliative care research, and a national campaign would be established to inform patients and families about the benefits of palliative care, under the bill.

“We commend Sens. Baldwin and Capito for their leadership in expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary education and training in palliative care,” Dr. Janet Bull, the president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, said. “PCHETA will help to ensure access to appropriate, timely, high-quality care for the expanding and diverse population of patients with serious illness or multiple chronic conditions, as well as their families and caregivers.”