Palliative Care

Need Immediate Care?
For emergency services, call 911.

For non-emergency walk-in care, try an ExpressCARE location.
Need help scheduling or have a question?
Call 888-402-LVHN (5846).

When you or a loved one face the challenges of advanced complex illness, Lehigh Valley Health Network’s OACIS Palliative Medicine program, a service specializing in palliative care, can help by streamlining your care and providing calm in the midst of confusion.

Need Immediate Care?
For emergency services, call 911.

For non-emergency walk-in care, try an ExpressCARE location.
Need help scheduling or have a question?
Call 888-402-LVHN (5846).

Living with a serious illness, such as multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure (CHF) or cancer, can be extremely challenging. In addition to physical pain and discomfort, adjusting to significant lifestyle changes can be stressful, especially as the illness progresses. That’s where Lehigh Valley Health Network’s OACIS/Palliative Medicine team can help.

What is OACIS?

OACIS (Optimizing Advanced Complex Illness Support) is a specialized palliative medical service focused on streamlining care and providing support to you and your family. Here are some key facts about palliative medicine:

  • It can ease stress and anxiety, and also help improve your ability to go through medical treatments.
  • It’s appropriate at any age and at any stage of serious illness.
  • It can be provided at the same time you are receiving other services designed to treat or cure your illness.

Our palliative care team includes doctors, advanced practice nurses and other providers who want to help you achieve the best possible quality of life. That’s why we focus on you as a whole person, not just your illness. We’ll find out what’s most important to you and then help you achieve it

Patients and family members should speak with their primary care physician to request a referral to OACIS Supportive Care, or to the attending physician in the hospital for an OACIS inpatient consult. We also offer specialized palliative support for people who have cancer.

Nationally recognized program

In 2014, OACIS was recognized by the American Hospital Association as a Circle of Life award winner. This award honors innovative palliative and end-of-life care programs for providing exceptional care.

Types of Palliative Care