We are pleased to share that Mid North Coast Local Health District Senior Palliative Care Pharmacist and NSW Regional Cancer Research Network Clinician Fellow, Felicity Bates, has been featured in Partyline, the online magazine of the National Rural Health Alliance. The Alliance is the peak body advocating for healthy and sustainable rural, regional and remote communities across Australia. Partyline is published quarterly and highlights initiatives and individuals making a meaningful impact on rural health.
In her article, “A palliative care pharmacist’s mission to address existential distress in rural NSW,” Felicity reflects on more than a decade of work on the Mid North Coast, focusing on an often overlooked aspect of palliative care — existential distress experienced by people living with life-limiting illness. Through the use of structured screening tools such as the Death and Dying Distress Scale (DADDS), her research supports clinicians to better identify and respond to emotional and spiritual distress with the same rigour applied to physical symptoms.
Supported by a NSW Regional Cancer Research Network Clinician Research Fellowship, Felicity’s work has been published in Palliative & Supportive Care and has gained national recognition. This includes a recent invitation to present at Parliament House, contributing to discussions on challenges and innovations in rural palliative care.
Read the full article here:
https://ruralhealth.org.au/partyline/a-palliative-care-pharmacists-mission-to-address-existential-distress-in-rural-nsw/