IMPACT-ICU: Integrating Multidisciplinary Palliative Care into the ICU

Wendy Gabrielle Anderson, MD, MS, worked with colleagues in critical care and palliative care at UCSF Medical Center and the Schools of Nursing and Medicine to develop "IMPACT-ICU: Integrating Multidisciplinary Palliative Care into the ICU", a project that integrates palliative care into intensive care units. This is accomplished by training and supporting ICU bedside nurses to identify and address patient and family needs for symptom management, emotional support, and communication. Dr. Anderson currently leads an expansion of the IMPACT-ICU project across the five University of California medical centers, and is developing a program to disseminate the program to other California hospitals. Dr. Anderson also co-leads efforts to engage patients and families into ICU care at UCSF through Project EMERGE. This project is redesigning ICU care to partner with patients and families, reduce preventable harms, and optimize patient and family experience and outcomes.