Navigating Serious Illness Conversations: Hospice, Palliative Care, and Member Support

Pittsburgh, PA US
October 29, 2025

This one hour interactive training is designed to enhance your confidence and effectiveness in supporting members facing serious illness by clarifying the distinctions between palliative care and hospice care and understanding their unique roles in member support, strengthening communication skills to navigate sensitive conversations whether over the phone or in person with empathy and clarity, and exploring available care options and provider resources to facilitate informed, compassionate decision-making with members and their families.

Target Audience

RNs / SW / Health Coaches / Paramedics / EMTs /CCM

Learning Objectives

  • Describe similarities and differences between palliative care and hospice
  • Describe  outpatient ambulatory palliative  care resources (clinics)
  • Describe home-based palliative care resources available to health plan members

 

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.00 ASWB
Course opens: 
09/17/2025
Course expires: 
11/26/2025
Event starts: 
10/29/2025 - 6:00am EDT
Event ends: 
10/29/2025 - 7:00am EDT
Add to calendar: 

Topic

Description

Duration

Hospice and Palliative Care

Differences in the two programs

20 Mins

Ambulatory Care

Outpatient ambulatory palliative  care resources (clinics)

 

20 Mins

Resources

Home-based palliative care resources available to health plan members 

20 mins

UPMC Health Plan
600 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
United States

Dr. Karl Bezak, MD

Nursing (CNE) 

The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.0 contact hour(s). 

CCM CE will be provided: 1.0 CE - CCM COA will be sent via email from UPMC Health Plan nurse planner approximately 6-8 weeks following the live date of the course. 

This activity is eligible for endorsed credit for UPMC Health Plan EMTs and Paramedics.  Complete ETHOS course work, obtain the attendance certificate, and submit to EMS governing body for 1.0 CE credit(s). 

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, University of Pittsburgh is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. University of Pittsburgh maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 continuing education credit(s). 

Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity. 

NOTE:  Paramedic/EMT CE is approved for any activity in which ANCC (nursing CE) is approved.  This is per Heather Bogdon and Christie Hempfling 

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.00 ASWB
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