Susan DeSanto-Madeya

Discipline: Associate Clinical Professor

Funding awarded to: Boston College

Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Certificate

The specific aims of the Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Certificate program are to provide graduate students from nursing, social work, and theology and ministry with 1) increased knowledge of the core principles of palliative care across disciplines; 2) an appreciation and respect for the unique and complementary contributions of each discipline in collaborative care; and 3) a comprehension of the interdisciplinary processes needed to care for persons living with serious illness and their families throughout the illness trajectory and across care settings. The goal is to create, implement and evaluate an interactive curriculum with innovative teaching strategies, by combining and integrating different experiences and ways of knowing that are the underlying tenets of interdisciplinary education.

“As an academic that is passionate about palliative care and improving the quality of life for persons living with serious illness and their families, I aspire to become a national palliative care nurse leader. I am committed to being an integral member of a national palliative care network that responds to the dramatic changes in our healthcare system and prepares the next generation of healthcare professionals. I envision a truly collaborative health care system with formally educated interdisciplinary palliative care providers who can deliver high-quality, person-centered, family oriented care to improve persons’ and family members’ quality of life through serious illness, end-of-life, and beyond. I believe that the Sojourns Scholar Leadership Program will provide the support and mentorship to help me attain this goal.”