VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in palliative care. In addition to our Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute, we have been accredited by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) as a Designated Center of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care since 2010.
The Palliative Care program at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center has been serving patients with complex symptom management needs for over 20 years. Our specialists assess a patient’s physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs. Palliative care team members then work together to address and relieve symptoms of critical or chronic illness such as pain, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue, enabling patients to feel better and gain the strength to carry on with daily life.
The Palliative Care program at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center includes physicians, nurses, social work, spiritual care, psychology, and other specialty services.
Our dedicated inpatient palliative care team treats patients throughout VCU Health with a holistic approach that includes assisting the patient and family with all aspects of coping with life-threatening illness as well as with establishing patient-driven goals of care.
Our outpatient Supportive Care Clinic is open to patients through Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center in the VCU Health Adult Outpatient Pavilion on the MCV Campus. For appointments in the Supportive Care Clinic, please call (804) 828-7999.
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
As a leader in Palliative Care, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is training the next generation of palliative care specialists. VCU Health offers a one-year fellowship training program in Hospice and Palliative Medicine with the Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care in the Department of Internal Medicine at the VCU School of Medicine. Fellows learn palliative care techniques through direct patient care as well as training in long-term care and geriatrics. For more information about the fellowship, please contact our fellowship coordinator at IMfellowships@vcuhealth.org or visit our Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship page.
Palliative Care Leadership Center
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center provides training and mentorship for developing, growing, and managing palliative care programs through the Palliative Care Leadership Center (PCLC) program. The PCLC program provides individualized assessment, customized training, and expert mentorship for teams of palliative care clinicians, managers, administrators, and institutional leaders through a comprehensive curriculum developed in partnership with the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). For more information or to apply, visit the official Palliative Care Leadership Centers webpage.
Virginia Initiative for Palliative Care
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center offers hands-on clinical observation of palliative care through the Virginia Initiative for Palliative Care (VIPC) Program. This one- or two-day observation program is available at no cost to health care professionals in Virginia. The VIPC program is designed to provide healthcare professionals the opportunity to shadow palliative care experts to gain real clinical exposure and provide time for questions and answers. Attendees will be paired with professionals who best match their interests. Participants are exposed to the workings of palliative care programs with the goals of learning how to improve their clinical practice and when to call for help. For more information about this program, please contact Teri Dulong-Rae, Program Manager, at teri.dulongrae@vcuhealth.org.
Palliative Care Project ECHO
Our Palliative Care Project ECHO is a tele-education model and a virtual community of practice for palliative care clinicians across the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond. We partner with community practices caring for patients with serious illness and apply our interdisciplinary care team - a mix of physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, chaplains and more - to provide patient care support and education. For more information, visit vcuhealth.org/pcecho.
Research and Publications
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is internationally recognized for its research and publications. Our palliative care team members have authored book chapters and practice guidelines for national and international organizations such as the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC). Our experts have published in peer-reviewed journals in palliative care, including the Journal of Palliative Medicine, the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Supportive Care in Cancer, and many others, in areas of study including the improvement of symptom management and quality of life, the holistic care of patients, and the development of measurement models for palliative care and cancer care.
Volunteering
Volunteers are a vital component of VCU Health and the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the VCU Volunteer Office at (804) 828-0922.
Financial Gifts
Your support of palliative care at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is appreciated and essential to the program’s growth and ability to serve those who need this form of care.
The Thomas Palliative Care Current Fund supports the pursuit and continuation of research related to pain and symptom management and end-of-life care at Massey. It also funds the day-to-day needs of the program, including crucial assistance to patients, families and friends benefiting from palliative care.
To make your gift to the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center palliative care program, please visit the secure online donation page.
Alternatively, donations can be mailed to:
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center (recipient)
Palliative care program (memo line)
P.O. Box 843042
Richmond, VA 23284
If you would like Massey to inform someone of a memorial gift, please make sure to include the name and address of the person you would like to be notified.
