Palliative Care – 11/8/2023

Welcome to CCSP/Palliative Care Grand Rounds

The Palliative Care and Comprehensive Cancer Support Programs (CCSP) co-organize weekly presentations on the care of seriously ill patients and their families, including individuals living with cancer, relevant to interdisciplinary clinicians. Individual topics address pain and symptom management, communication approaches with patients and families, strategies to facilitate coping and support, quality improvement and research in these disciplines.

November 8

Andy Liu

Tracheostomy Decision-Making and Counseling: Comparing Providers’ and Caregivers’ Perspectives and Perceptions

Bio:

I was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and spent my childhood there. I moved to the US for college, completed undergrad at Davidson, and graduated the year Steph Curry took us to the Elite 8 on our incredible Cinderella run. Initially, I worked in the finance industry, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I like people more than numbers. I went back to school, completed prerequisites, and got accepted to the University of Vermont School of Medicine and moved up north. After medical school, I migrated back down south for pediatric residency at the UNC and pediatric critical care fellowship at Vanderbilt.

Having trained in residency and fellowship programs where I found my work colleagues more like my family, I was looking for a similar atmosphere. I already loved the UNC culture, and when I interviewed for my palliative care fellowship, people I met (Alyssa, Paul, Angela, the fellows and many others) gave that sense of camaraderie and connection and made me feel at home again. Also, I’m doing a second fellowship (palliative after pediatric critical care), the UNC Palliative Care Division has many attendings who are dual-trained in the faculty to provide me guidance. I know I will have a fun and learn a lot this year, and I look forward to it!

Outside of work, I enjoy going on walks with my wife, Kaitlyn, and our dog Annabelle. I love live music outdoor concerts. My wife and I also enjoy going to shows and musicals (Hamilton, Mean Girls, and the last one we saw was To Kill a Mockingbird). When I lived in Vermont, I picked up snowboarding to survive the winter; the snowfall is rare here in the South, so I paddleboard instead (Jordan Lake was my spot during residency). I watch and play basketball; I make layups sometimes. In general, I enjoy being outdoors and spending time with friends and family.

We Offer:
Accreditation
The School of Medicine of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Continuing Medical Education Statement
The School of Medicine of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Other health professionals will receive a certificate of attendance from an AMA PRA Category 1™ activity. These certificates are accepted by the NC Boards for physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and respiratory therapists. Other health care providers may also be able to use these certificates, depending on their particular license requirements. (License requirements are subject to change. Participants should check with their licensing boards for specific questions. UNC and its partners are not responsible for changes in license requirements.)

Disclosure statement
This activity has been planned and implemented under the sole supervision of the course director and planning committee, in association with the UNC Office of Continuing Professional Development (UNC CPD). The course director, planning committee, presenters, and CPD staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests as defined by the ACCME.

Please visit the CCSP/Palliative Care Grand Rounds calendar page to view upcoming events.