The VISN 3 Palliative Care Program: A Successful Collaboration

Carol Luhrs, MD, Therese Cortez, RNP, Joan Penrod, PhD, and Judith L. Howe, PhD

Dr. Luhrs is director of palliative care for VISN 3, Bronx, NY; chief of the hematology/oncology section of the Brooklyn VA Medical Center at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn; and an associate professor of clinical medicine at The State University of New York–Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn. Ms. Cortez is coordinator of palliative care for VISN 3. Dr. Penrod is the director of the Targeted Research Enhancement Program at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center (JPVAMC), Bronx and an associate professor in the Brookdale department of geriatrics and adult development at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM), New York, NY. Dr. Howe is an associate professor in the Brookdale department of geriatrics and adult development at the MSSM and the associate director for education and evaluation at the Bronx Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center and director of the Consortium of New York Geriatric Education Centers, both at the JPVAMC.