Palliative Care: Doris A. Howell Consult Service
Palliative care is a new branch of medicine that specializes in symptom management, pain control, and addressing psychological, spiritual and social problems. The goal of palliative care is the achievement of the best quality of life for patients with serious illnesses and their families.
At UCSD, the Doris A. Howell Consult Service is named after Dr. Doris Howell, a pediatric oncologist who devoted her life to the care of patients in the context of training the next generation of doctors in San Diego. Dr. Howell is now proud to see the service thrive, with teams serving both UCSD hospitals and the Moores Cancer Center.
Compassionate Expertise for Serious Illness
The Howell Service is a specialized team consisting of a physician, nurse practitioner, pharmacist and social worker. The focus of this consult service is to enhance care and quality of life for patients with serious, complex illness, and their families.
When treating patients, the team takes into account each individual’s physical symptoms, emotions, practical daily lives, values, sense of meaning, and family system.
Working closely with patients and their families, and in conjunction with the primary healthcare team, the Howell Service can help:
- Manage pain and other symptoms
- Educate patients about non-drug options for pain management, including meditation, hypnosis, and
behavioral therapy
- Clarify goals of care
- Make plans for the future
- Transition patients from the hospital to their home or another setting
- Provide counseling and caregiver support
- Inform patients about clinical trials
View a complete list of our palliative care physicians.
Referral to the Howell Program
For a referral to this service, please speak with a member of your healthcare team or call (858) 534-7079.