Contact:
Jodi-Ann Bailey
Public Affairs Associate
(718) 780-5367
Brooklyn, NY – January 13, 2011 – Florence Shadlen, M.D., recently joined New York Methodist Hospital’s Department of Medicine as chief of geriatrics and palliative care medicine. Dr. Shadlen joins the Hospital after serving as chief of geriatrics at the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System’s Brooklyn campus. She is board-certified in both internal and geriatric medicine. Dr. Shadlen received her medical degree from Brown University. She completed fellowships in geriatric medicine at Brown and Stanford University.
At New York Methodist, Dr. Shadlen will head the Hospital’s new palliative care program, which is designed to optimize care for patients with serious illnesses through patient and family-centered collaboration. Palliative care, a relatively new branch of medicine, is specialized care that enhances quality of life by anticipating and addressing the pain, symptoms and stress of advanced illness. The program addresses medical, physical, functional, and spiritual problems that cause suffering. “A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that people receiving palliative care live longer than those who have not received the benefits of a team approach to enhance their quality of life,” said Dr. Shadlen.
Candidates for palliative care include patients who are frequently hospitalized, need expert control of pain and distressing symptoms, need assistance in maintaining independence despite frailty and many illnesses, and/or, need psychological and spiritual support to cope with advanced illness.
“The palliative care team ensures that patients and their loved ones are supported during the illness,” said Dr. Shadlen. “We provide consultations and continuity of care both in the Hospital and in the outpatient clinic setting.”
Emil Baccash, M.D., attending physician who specializes in geriatric medicine, and president of NYM’s medical board, added, “Having a palliative care team in place at the Hospital provides optimum care and support for patients and their family members.”
For more information, contact the Division of Palliative Care at 718.780.5272.
New York Methodist Hospital
New York Methodist Hospital (NYM), a voluntary, acute-care teaching facility located in Brooklyn’s Park Slope, houses 651 inpatient beds (including bassinets) and provides services to over 36,000 inpatients each year. An additional 300,000 outpatient visits and services are logged annually. The Hospital, founded in 1881, has undergone extensive renovation and modernization over the years. NYM offers Institutes in the following areas: Advanced and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Asthma and Lung Disease; Cancer Care; Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery; Digestive and Liver Disorders; Diabetes and Other Endocrine Disorders; Vascular Medicine and Surgery; Family Care; Neurosciences; Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery and Women’s Health. New York Methodist Hospital is affiliated with the Weill Cornell Medical College and is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System.
