Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Judy is part of a specialty team at Mount Evans that cares for mountain residents diagnosed with serious illness who are seeking treatment for a cure or better ways to manage their condition. In other words, patients don’t have to choose between treatment for their illness and palliative care; they can have both.
“I do feel I make a difference in my patients’ lives,” Judy explains. “I have believed for many years that a majority of health problems can be mitigated if not healed by a caring, listening ear. Many of my patients live alone and in remote areas and having someone take the time and make the effort to come to them is special.”
As a nurse practitioner, she falls in the middle between a doctor and registered nurse. Judy can prescribe medication, examine patients and provide treatment. For patients in the palliative care program, it means providing comfort, symptom management and emotional care to residents diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and more.
“We receive referrals from doctors in the community requesting our team to go into a patient’s home for the purpose of performing an assessment to determine the patient’s physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs that require treatment. Our objective is to discern the patient’s goals for their own care and to coordinate our recommendations and services with the referring provider.”
Judy helps patients live a meaningful life. The care she provides gives patients an extra layer of support. For Judy, that means helping patients reach their health goals and giving them back their life.
“I wanted to work with Mount Evans because I enjoy providing medical care to people on their home turf and on a relaxed time frame instead of in a clinic setting that is rushed. I feel it is a true privilege to be invited into people’s home, meet their families, and listen to their stories.”
