Target Audience: Member organizations – specific to palliative care | Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
Why it Matters
A robust palliative care approach, delivered earlier in the course of serious illness, offers profound benefits not just for those directly receiving care but also for their families, care teams, and the broader community. Individuals benefit from an improved quality of life, relief from distressing symptoms, and a care plan that truly reflects their values, wishes, and goals. Families are supported through clearer communication, better understanding of available options, and guidance during emotionally challenging times—helping to reduce stress and uncertainty.
Ultimately, investing in this model advances health system sustainability, addresses gaps in service, and strengthens our collective commitment to dignified, person-centered care for those facing life-limiting illness—benefiting patients, families, providers, and the community as a whole.
Dig Deeper
For healthcare teams, the Palliative Care Clinical Coach role builds capacity, confidence, and expertise in managing complex palliative needs, promoting shared learning and skill development. This translates to care that is more coordinated, consistent, and compassionate, reducing avoidable hospitalizations, unnecessary interventions, and fragmentation of care. By fostering collaboration across sectors, the initiative ensures that palliative care is seamlessly integrated, supporting smoother transitions and a unified approach throughout Huron Perth & Area.
The Palliative Care Clinical Coach Role in Huron Perth & Area supports a phased strategy to strengthening palliative care across the region, beginning with long-term care and community-based services. The Palliative Care Clinical Coach is a dedicated resource supporting front-line clinicians, caregivers, and organizations in delivering the Ontario Health Model of Palliative Care which focuses on high-quality, person-centered palliative care. The coach will work directly with teams to:
- Provide mentorship and clinical guidance for complex palliative cases
- Support the use of best practices in symptom management, communication, and advance care planning
- Offer education sessions, tools, and resources tailored to the needs of individual teams or homes
- Facilitate early and appropriate identification of individuals who would benefit from a palliative approach to care
- Collaborate with regional partners to ensure integrated and coordinated care across sectors
Phased-In Approach
The Palliative Care Clinical Coach role is being rolled out in phases:
- Phase One: Focus on long-term care homes, working alongside team members to strengthen palliative approaches already implemented and identify opportunities for improvement, with an emphasis on education.
- Phase Two: Expand into primary care, home and community care, and other healthcare settings to ensure that the right supports are available wherever patients receive care.
This approach allows us to build strong foundations in each setting, gather feedback, and make adaptations based on what works best in practice.
Next Steps
- Connect with Danielle Hopf-Stasso, RN (clinical coach) for mentorship or guidance on complex palliative cases
- Engage with and utilize the support offered by the Palliative Care Clinical Coach.
- Request tailored education sessions, tools, or resources for your team or organization
- Collaborate to improve palliative care practices in your setting. Danielle will work with your team to identify patients early who may benefit from a palliative approach and integrate that care model into your practice.