Personalized Care, Wherever You Are: UPMC’s Tele-Palliative Care Program Expands
By: Liz Reid
UPMC’s unique tele-palliative care program has expanded to western New York. Patients at UPMC Chautauqua and their families will now be able to engage with palliative care experts in Pittsburgh to set goals for both their care and quality of life.
“We have a high incidence of chronic disease in this area, including congestive heart failure, diabetes and cancer,” said Emelia Harley, MSN, R.N., vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at UPMC Chautauqua. “Our goal is to help people with advanced stage chronic diseases to live the best life possible.”
Harley and others say there is common confusion about the difference between palliative care and hospice. The program’s medical director, Karl B. Bezak, M.D., says the distinction is simple: “Hospice is about dying well; palliative care is about living well.”
Accessing specialty palliative care has long been a challenge for rural communities, and UPMC is specifically addressing that need by providing tele-palliative care services with highly skilled specialists right in the patient’s hospital room or prior to discharge.
“COVID taught us a lot about the kind of care we can deliver and how we can appropriately deliver that care,” said Janet Leahy, CRNP, who supervises hospital- and outpatient-based palliative care services at UPMC. “This is a conversation-based specialty, so it makes sense that a telemedicine consultation with a palliative care specialist works. By bringing multiple sites together, we can deliver care more efficiently to reach more patients and their families.”
The process involves a one-hour consultation with a specialty palliative care clinician to discuss health goals, symptom management, aggressive or conservative treatment and quality of life.
“Palliative care can begin at any stage of an illness. Perhaps that is at the time of diagnosis or alongside disease-focused treatment like chemotherapy,” said Marika Haranis, DNP, director of palliative care at UPMC. “We don’t treat the cancer, but we treat the illness or specifically what the cancer is doing to your quality of life.”
Clinicians say the conversations are as unique as the patients themselves, ranging from discussions of one’s spiritual goals to whether they should have a ramp installed at home. The team can also help with discharge planning and connection to community resources and be a practical and logistical support to families during a challenging time.
“Our work is about easing the symptoms that make life hard and guiding families through tough decisions,” said Leahy. “We sit with patients and families, name what hurts, align care to their goals and help coordinate support so life feels more livable.”
Shirley & Jim Mullendore celebrating 70 years of marriage. One of Shirley’s goals for palliative care was to celebrate the milestone with her husband.
For Shirley Mullendore, the most challenging part of her illness was thinking that she might miss her 70th wedding anniversary. When her UPMC Somerset-based care team learned through the palliative care consultation that she desperately wished to see the milestone, they coordinated with her family to have the anniversary celebration early, right in the hospital.
“The team went above and beyond what we even imagined could happen in a hospital,” said Shirley’s daughter, Melissa Vough. “I told the guests to only stay for a little while, because I didn’t want to tire her out. Nobody would leave. It was surprising how comfortable everybody felt being at a party in a hospital.”
Shirley passed away at home on October 11, 2025, surrounded by family.
“As clinicians, sometimes we focus too much on what we think a patient needs, instead of what they want,” said Harley. “As a nurse, I might believe someone needs rest. But sometimes it’s more important for them to get down on the ground and play with their grandchildren.”
The tele-palliative care program is also available at eight other UPMC hospitals: Somerset, Jameson, Horizon Greenville, Horizon Shenango, Northwest, Hamot, Passavant Cranberry and McKeesport.
The program is a natural extension of UPMC’s longstanding commitment to serving rural communities and ensuring that every patient—regardless of location—has access to compassionate, high-quality care. By prioritizing rural access and tailoring services to meet the unique needs of underserved populations, UPMC is helping communities thrive and reaffirming its promise to deliver care for all.
