Coleman Fellows Palliative Medicine Training Program
Interdisciplinary Training for Clinicians
Program Description
Background and Mission
In 2012, the Coleman Foundation of Chicago awarded a large grant to support the Chicagoland
Palliative Medicine Physician Collective in offering a professional training program for physicians and
nurses across Chicago to improve the quality and access to palliative care services for patients with
cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The first cohort of physicians and nurses will complete the
2-year training in February 2015. A renewed grant cycle is supporting phase 2 of the Coleman
Palliative Medicine Training Program and welcoming a new cohort of interdisciplinary health care
providers from social work, chaplaincy and medicine, who provide care to adult and pediatric patients.
The Application Process
Physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplains employed part or full-time at Chicago area
health care organizations are eligible to apply as incoming Fellows. Hospice employees are not in the
target audience. Individuals are not required to be in a palliative care or supportive care position at
their workplace. However, there needs to be an expressed commitment by institutional leadership to
develop a palliative care program and the opportunity for such a position. Individuals who
demonstrate a strong commitment and ability to improve access to palliative care in their health care
systems, as well as the support and buy-in for implementing performance improvement projects from
hospital leadership, will be favored. Applications are due by November 1, 2014.
Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Training for Fellows
The 2-year training program for Fellows consists of: online self-directed learning, bi-annual
workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and the development, implementation and evaluation of a practice
improvement project tailored to the palliative care needs at Fellows’ health care organizations. One-onone mentoring provides a rich learning opportunity for Fellows to observe mentors’ practices, and
receive guidance around practice improvements projects. Projects should have measurable goals and
outcomes that can be followed over time. Fellows will be expected to report preliminary and final
outcomes.
The training will be customized for each discipline in regard to Fellow and mentor pairings and
e-learning curricula. It is designed to be incorporated into the schedule of a full-time clinician. Fellows
who meet program requirements will receive a $5,000 stipend. For more information about program
requirements and examples of practice improvement projects, please visit the program website at
http://colemanpalliative.uchicago.edu/.
Engaging Leadership to Ensure Success
Institutional support is essential for effective, lasting quality improvements. Phase 2 introduces
a leadership track for a single or pair of leaders or supervisors to champion palliative care and learn
how it benefits patient satisfaction and financials. Leaders are introduced to the work of the Coleman
Palliative Care Training Community at the Fellows Project Showcase on March 13, 2015. In May
2015, there will be Leadership Summit to address palliative issues facing healthcare organizations in
the Chicago area. Leaders will set institutional goals linked to Fellows’ and Junior Mentors’ practice
improvement projects, meet bi-annually with their team to monitor progress and outcomes, and
provide outcomes data on measures such as cost, utilization, patient and family satisfaction and pain
management.
Important Dates*
November 1, 2014
Applications due
January 15, 2015
Notification letters to be sent
March 13, 2015
Poster Walk and Awards Ceremony: Junior Mentors, Fellows, Leadership
March 13-14, 2015
Fellows 2-day Palliative Care Intensive
May 2015 (Date TBD) Leadership Summit
*Future biannual workshop dates TBA
Please send an email regarding intent to apply to abaron@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu.
Thank you.
The Coleman Palliative Medicine Core Working Group
Project Directors
Sean O’Mahony, MB, BCH, BAO
Stacie Levine, MD, FAAHPM
Rush University
University of Chicago
Core Faculty
Ileana M. Leyva, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM
Joel E. Frader, MD
George Fritchett, DMin, PhD
Holly Nelson-Becker, PhD
Catherine Deamant, MD
Aziz Ansari, MD
Central DuPage Hospital, Cadence Health
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Rush University Medical Center
Loyola School of Social Work
Stroger Hospital
Loyola University Medical Center
Project Coordinator
Aliza Baron, MA
University of Chicago