- Physician Services
- Nurse Practitioners (NP)
- Registered Nurses, Certified Hospice/Palliative Care Nurses (CHPN)
- Medical Social Workers (MSW)
- Spiritual Care Providers
- Volunteers
Dr. Andrew Kunkemueller, MD
Palliative Care Medical Director
Kathy Boyd, MSN, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Hayley Bustos, MSN, FNP-C, ACHPN
Nurse Practitioner
Alexa Gordon, MSN, FNP-BC, APRN
Nurse Practitioner
- Care coordination (providing communication and collaboration with care providers to ensure patient needs are addressed)
- Expert Pain & Symptom Management
- Advance Care Planning
- Family & Caregiver Support
- Telehealth
- Our Nurse Practitioners are experienced in chronic care management and geropsychiatric care.
- Patients experience improved quality of life and decreased re-hospitalizations with symptom management and patient education.
Patients can receive Palliative Care services while still receiving curative treatment for their disease. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of a disease.
Individuals who qualify for Palliative Care meet one or more criteria:
- A chronic disease or condition that is unmanaged and/or is interfering with their quality of life.
- 2 or more hospitalizations in a year for an uncontrolled or unmanaged chronic condition.
- 2 or more emergency room visits in a year for an uncontrolled or unmanaged chronic condition.
- Uncontrolled or unmanaged pain, not related to a chronic back condition.
- Anxiety, which is not related to a mental illness.
- Frequent calls to physician’s office due to an uncontrolled or unmanaged chronic condition.
- Palliative Care Team
-
- Physician Services
- Nurse Practitioners (NP)
- Registered Nurses, Certified Hospice/Palliative Care Nurses (CHPN)
- Medical Social Workers (MSW)
- Spiritual Care Providers
- Volunteers
Dr. Andrew Kunkemueller, MD
Palliative Care Medical Director
Kathy Boyd, MSN, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Hayley Bustos, MSN, FNP-C, ACHPN
Nurse Practitioner
Alexa Gordon, MSN, FNP-BC, APRN
Nurse Practitioner
- Specialized Care and Support
-
- Care coordination (providing communication and collaboration with care providers to ensure patient needs are addressed)
- Expert Pain & Symptom Management
- Advance Care Planning
- Family & Caregiver Support
- Telehealth
- Highlights
-
- Our Nurse Practitioners are experienced in chronic care management and geropsychiatric care.
- Patients experience improved quality of life and decreased re-hospitalizations with symptom management and patient education.
- Eligibility
-
Patients can receive Palliative Care services while still receiving curative treatment for their disease. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of a disease.
Individuals who qualify for Palliative Care meet one or more criteria:
- A chronic disease or condition that is unmanaged and/or is interfering with their quality of life.
- 2 or more hospitalizations in a year for an uncontrolled or unmanaged chronic condition.
- 2 or more emergency room visits in a year for an uncontrolled or unmanaged chronic condition.
- Uncontrolled or unmanaged pain, not related to a chronic back condition.
- Anxiety, which is not related to a mental illness.
- Frequent calls to physician’s office due to an uncontrolled or unmanaged chronic condition.
Have Questions? We Have Answers.
What is Palliative Care?
How can Palliative Care help me?
Do I have to be homebound to be a Palliative Care patient?
What do I need to do to become a Palliative Care patient?
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative Care is specialized medical care for people with a serious illness. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of a diagnosis, such as cancer, dementia, heart disease, lung disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), MS (multiple sclerosis) or any illness that causes distressing symptoms. Patients can receive Palliative Care services while still receiving curative treatment for their disease.
How can Palliative Care help me?
We focus on providing patients relief from the symptoms due to a complex illness, regardless of the diagnosis. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for you and your family, and decrease the need for emergency room visits or re-hospitalizations.
Do I have to be homebound to be a Palliative Care patient?
You do not need to be homebound to receive this service and care is provided wherever you call home, such as a private residence, assisted living facility, or nursing home.
What do I need to do to become a Palliative Care patient?
We encourage you to talk to your physician about a referral to our Palliative Care program. You can also contact us to learn more about our program and find out if Palliative Care is right for you.
We Love What We Do and It Shows
Cornerstone VNA has received many local and national accolades in recognition of positively impacting the lives of families through their compassionate, high-quality care.
Cornerstone VNA took the regional lead in developing a community palliative care program. Once again, their leaders, team and board took an initiative to fill a new dimension in health care. It’s my pleasure to speak out in their support and underwrite their programs.
Palliative care at Cornerstone VNA successfully integrates best supportive care for patients with serious chronic illnesses who are undergoing active treatment. The Palliative Care Team includes skilled professionals who help with clear and sensitive communication between patients and families, and their medical team.
I feel very fortunate to have Cornerstone VNA. Everyone is so wonderful. They treat me like family and they’ve helped me so much.