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Sandra Sanchez-Reilly, M.D., wrote a book about the complexities of communication during advanced illness and the end of life.
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SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 28, 2008) — Sandra Sanchez-Reilly, M.D., assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative care with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, is the physician co-author of “Communication as Comfort: Multiple Voices in Palliative Care,” a soon-to-be-published book about the complexities of communication during advanced illness and the end of life.

Dr. Sanchez-Reilly is a member of the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at The UT Health Science Center. She directs the geriatrics and palliative care consultation service and palliative care program, which coordinates the care of more than 100 patients a month at the Audie Murphy Division of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System.

Palliative care deals with the patient's comfort level
“Palliative care is medical care that has the comfort of patients as its goal rather than their cure,” Dr. Sanchez-Reilly said. “For some patients who are chronically or terminally ill, a cure is no longer realistic. In this situation, palliative care professionals must do a lot more than prescribe medications to control pain and other symptoms. We must be compassionate, patient-centered communicators who comfort the patient and family members as we clarify the goals of care and help them connect with hospice care if needed.”

The book, written with health communication scholars Sandra Ragan, Elaine Wittenberg-Lyles and Joy Goldsmith, is a resource for health care professionals in all disciplines, Dr. Sanchez-Reilly said. The publisher is Routledge. Pre-orders of the book will begin shipping March 18.

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $576 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $15.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $35 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to seven campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 22,000 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and allied health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, allied health, dentistry and many other fields. For more information visit www.uthscsa.edu.