Notes from the Field

by Jordan Endicott, JD
Manager, Health Policy & Advocacy

I’ve worked in the health care related field for nearly the entirety of my professional career, but surprisingly, the last time I had stepped foot in a hospital was at age 10 when I broke my wrist. When I was offered the opportunity to visit Drs. Christian Sinclair and Paul Tatum at their respective hospitals, I was excited for the chance to reacquaint myself with a system that I was really only familiar with in an abstract way.

We spent the first day of our trip with Dr. Sinclair at the University of Kansas Medical Center, spending time with the interdisciplinary team there, and then seeing patients with Dr. Sinclair and a nurse from his team. The patients we saw ranged from those nearing the end of life, to cancer survivors who were left with pain and complications following treatment. The one constant though from all of the visits was that Dr. Sinclair and the nurse kept the focus on what the patient wanted and desired.

After a day spent in Kansas City, we made the short trip over to Columbia, Missouri where Dr. Tatum works at the University of Missouri. Dr. Tatum took us on a whirlwind tour that involved seeing a patient in the hospital, shadowing him during his primary care clinic hours, and ending the work day in Jefferson City to meet with Jane Moore, the CEO of the Missouri Hospice and Palliative Care Association.

When I first informed my friends and family earlier this year that I was accepting a job with the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the most common reaction was along the lines of “wow, that sounds terribly depressing” or “why would you want to do that to yourself?” The reaction was much the same when I told everyone that I’d actually be visiting two of our members and seeing their patients.

My usual response to the negative thoughts that people have to the field of end-of-life care is that our members are working every single day to enhance aspects of patient care that are in need of vast improvement. After seeing firsthand the relief and care that our members provide though, the biggest take away for me is that hospice and palliative care is absolutely not depressing – it’s the fact that thousands of patients across the country still lack awareness or access to this care that is a cause for sorrow. I was already proud of the work I do in supporting our members, but after my visit, I’m even more grateful for the opportunity to work for the Academy and advocate for the field of hospice and palliative medicine.