Evergreen Hospital Gets $100,000 Grant to Broaden 'Palliative Care'

Kirkland’s has received a $100,000 grant to extend palliative care — a specialty that helps seriously ill people manage their symptoms — into homes and nursing facilities.

The Regence Foundation awarded the grant to the Evergreen Healthcare Foundation, the hospital announced Wednesday.

The funds will be used to increase awareness of this type of care to both the medical community and the public. Hospital officials said they will use the grant to increase staffing and broaden a partnership with Life Care Center of Kirkland as well as expand palliative services to other nursing facilities. 

“We believe people should have access to palliative care in whatever setting they find most appropriate for them, not just in hospitals,” Bob Malte, CEO of Evergreen, said in a news release. “The Regence Foundation Grant will make palliative care more readily available in our communities.” 

The grant is part of The Regence Foundation’s Sojourns program to promote hospital- and community-based palliative care services. The Regence Foundation is the corporate foundation of Regence, the largest health insurer in the Northwest. 

Palliative care can be provided at any time during a patient’s illness, unlike hospice care which is end-of-life service. Palliative care benefits patients and families and reduces healthcare costs because patients need fewer skilled nursing visits, emergency room visits and don’t require hospitalization as often.