- Detroit Receiving Hospital
- Harper University Hospital
- Sinai-Grace Hospital
Hospital teams
Palliative medicine
consultation
Specialist support for complex symptoms, care decisions and family conversations.
Serving patients at Detroit Receiving Hospital, Harper University Hospital and Sinai-Grace Hospital.
Care alongside treatment
Palliative medicine can help during serious, advanced or terminal illness, alongside treatment for the illness. A terminal diagnosis is not required.
When to consider
a consult
01
Complex pain, breathlessness, or other symptoms remain difficult to control.
02
The patient or family needs help weighing treatment options.
03
Goals of care need review as the illness changes.
04
Repeated admissions or declining function prompt questions about future care.
05
A family meeting would help address differing understandings of the illness or care plan.
Pelikan Health assesses symptoms, recommends treatment and helps patients and families understand prognosis and care options. Recommendations are shared with the treating team, informed by nursing, social work and case management.
Request a consultation
The attending physician, another consulting physician, or their advanced practice providers (APPs) may request a consultation.
(248) 621-4581Call Pelikan Health to arrange the consultation and coordinate the appropriate hospital order.
When you call
Have the patient's hospital location, treating clinician, and reason for consultation available.
Hospital coverage
Nursing, social work, case management & other colleagues
What you notice
in daily care
Daily care can reveal symptoms, unanswered questions and priorities that do not surface during rounds.
Symptoms are disrupting daily care
Pain with turning, breathlessness during washing or therapy, or nausea that limits eating may persist even when a patient appears comfortable at rest.
Example wording“Her pain is still interrupting sleep and making personal care difficult despite the current plan. Would a Pelikan Health consult help us improve symptom control?”
Questions remain about recovery
After a treatment discussion, patients or families may still ask what recovery could look like, what an intervention is expected to achieve, or what the alternatives are.
Example wording“He and his family are asking what recovery might look like and how the treatment options would affect his daily life. Would a joint conversation with your team and Pelikan Health help?”
The patient names a priority
A patient may describe what matters most: being alert, getting to the bathroom independently, or spending time with family. They may wonder how treatment will affect those priorities.
Example wording“She told me that being alert enough to talk with her children matters most to her. Could we bring that priority into the next treatment discussion?”
Caregiving needs feel unmanageable
Alongside practical discharge planning, families may need a clearer understanding of likely changes in the illness, symptom needs and the help the patient may require.
Example wording“He wants to go home, but his wife is worried about managing his symptoms and personal care. We're working on services and equipment. Could Pelikan Health join a conversation about what to expect and his care priorities?”
The patient is frightened about what lies ahead
Fear of suffering, dependence or being a burden can surface during quiet conversations or spiritual care. These concerns may make it harder to discuss treatment choices.
Example wording“She has shared that she is afraid of suffering and becoming a burden. We're supporting her with those concerns. Could we bring those worries into our discussion of what she can expect and the care she wants?”
Talk with the treating clinician. Share your observations and ask whether a Pelikan Health consultation could help. The attending or consulting physician, or their APP, can call to arrange it.
How to request a consultationMore about serious, advanced and terminal illness
Serious illness
Conditions such as cancer, advanced heart or lung disease, kidney or liver disease, and neurological conditions can bring substantial symptom burden and complex care decisions.
Advanced illness
Progressive disease, repeated admissions or declining function can prompt a review of treatment goals, likely outcomes and the benefits and burdens of care.
Terminal illness
When death is expected from an illness that cannot be reversed, palliative consultation can address symptom relief, communication about prognosis, treatment preferences, and care at the end of life.
Clinical background: CAPC: the role of palliative care · Referral criteria · Nursing and serious illness · Case management scope