In 2014, GWish joined forces with the MFA-GWU Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Division and the GW Cancer Center to develop and implement the Outpatient Supportive and Palliative Care Clinic (SAPC). An innovative model of care for cancer patients with acute illness or at end-of-life, the SAPC is one of only a handful of clinics that delivers bio-psycho-social and spiritual care through the well-coordinated efforts of an interdisciplinary health care team. Depending on patient needs, the team includes a combination of palliative care physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, chaplains, and social workers. The SAPC has also been made available to medical students, residents, and fellows as a learning model.
In 2017, Dr. Puchalski, in collaboration with the GW Cancer Center, formed the SAPC Research Group to better understand the impact of spiritual distress on cancer patients. Currently, the research team is laying the groundwork for a pilot interventions study of interprofessional spiritual care in palliative care.