Core Practice of Palliative Care
- Continuing Education
Deadline Approaching Enroll now to secure your seat.
Equip adult and pediatric clinicians across disciplines with practical strategies to confidently assess, communicate with, and support patients and families living with serious illness—skills they can apply immediately in clinical practice.
- Live Online
This course is taught online in real time.
Session Recordings will not be available for this course.
$1,995
For a full list of profession pricing see below.
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Continuing Education
Earn up to:
17.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™
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Three Days
Please view the Schedule for a full description of the program.
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Overview
Core Practice of Palliative Care is a new course that will provide primary palliative care education for adult and pediatric interprofessional clinicians of all specialties. The course has been designed and led by an interprofessional team of adult and pediatric clinicians and is intended for all members of a palliative care team. This is an opportunity to join a generous learning community, build skills and knowledge in a rigorous and efficient three days, and to learn with exceptional faculty from across the Harvard Medical School network.
Offered through the Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care, this is an intensive, three-day immersive course designed to meet the evolving educational needs and practice realities of interprofessional clinicians who care for patients with serious illness. Building on the longstanding legacy of Palliative Care Education and Practice (PCEP), this redesigned course represents the second part of a three-course series. It follows Foundations of Palliative Care, offered in October 2025 (in person) and January 2026 (virtual).
Core Practice of Palliative Care emphasizes deliberate skill expansion and applied practice through case-based discussions, role-playing with simulated patients, and guided reflection. Participants will have multiple opportunities for supported practice with structured feedback, allowing them to expand and hone essential the primary palliative care skills required across care settings. Participants will strengthen their confidence in comprehensive assessment and management of patients and families living with serious illness, while broadening their interprofessional community, deepening self-reflection, and cultivating sustainability in their work. Clinicians will leave with practical skills and strategies they can immediately apply to day-to-day clinical practice.
Course domains include:
- Whole-Person Assessment and Management
- Serious Illness Communication
- Community Building and Self-Reflection
Core Practice of Palliative Care is designed for patient-facing clinicians from across disciplines and specialties who seek to expand and strengthen their palliative care skills. It is ideal for clinicians interested in enhancing their primary palliative care skills, palliative care champions, clinicians joining palliative care teams without prior fellowship training, and fellowship-trained clinicians seeking to refresh, deepen and sustain their skills.
We strongly encourage palliative care teams to participate together and to benefit from having a shared experience and developing a common language. Group discounts are available – please contact us at pallcare@partners.org to learn more.
Learners are not required to have taken Foundations in Palliative Care to enroll in this course, though a clinical background and experience caring for seriously ill patients and their families is strongly recommended.
Learning Objectives
- Apply a comprehensive, consistent framework to whole-person assessment and management (physical, psychosocial, spiritual domains).
- Deliberately practice serious illness communication skills with simulated patient encounters, supported by structured feedback and coaching from peers and expert clinicians.
- Strengthen a community of peers committed to providing high-quality care for people with serious illness.
- Engage in reflective practices that support sustainability of meaningful, long-term clinical work.
Developed and Offered By:
Continuing Education courses are developed by faculty from Harvard Medical School's teaching hospitals and accredited by Harvard Medical School. This course is offered by Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care.
Who Should Participate
Primary Care Physicians, Pharmacists, Physician Assistants, Psychologists, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Specialty Physicians, Social Workers, Chaplains, Psychiatrists, and Others
Schedule
All agenda sessions are in Eastern Time.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Welcome to the Core Principles of Palliative Care
10:00-10:30 am
The Frame of Palliative Care
10:30-11:15 am
Break
11:15-11:30 am
Scaffolds for a Comprehensive Palliative Care Assessment (Adult and Pediatric Sessions)
11:30 am-12:30 pm
Lunch
12:30-1:30 pm
Scaffolds for a Comprehensive Palliative Care Assessment (Adult and Pediatric Sessions)
1:30-2:30 pm
Break
2:30-2:45 pm
Adult Session: Clinical Trajectories, Prognostication, and Frailty in Patients with Serious Illness
2:45-3:45 pm
Pediatric Session: Clinical Trajectories and Prognostication in Patients with Serious Illness
2:45-3:45 pm
Transition
3:45-4:00 pm
Community Building and Reflection
4:00-5:00 pm
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Welcome Back
10:00-10:15 am
Delivering Serious News
10:15-10:45 am
Small Group Start-Up
10:45-11:15 am
Delivering Serious News -- Practice
11:15 am-1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00-2:00 pm
Exploring Values and Preferences and Making Recommendations
2:00-2:30 pm
Exploring Values and Preferences and Making Recommendations: Practice
2:30-4:30 pm
Small Group Reflection
4:30-4:45 pm
Large Group Close
4:45-5:00 pm
Friday, May 15, 2026
Welcome Back
10:00-10:15 am
Pain Management
10:15-11:30 am
Break
11:30-11:45 am
Management of Depression and Anxiety
11:45 am-12:30 pm
Lunch
12:30-1:30 pm
Managing GI Symptoms (Nausea/Vomiting, Constipation)
1:30-2:00 pm
Dyspnea Management
2:00-2:30 pm
Break
2:30-2:45 pm
Adult Session: Caring for the Dying Patient
2:45-3:30 pm
Pediatric Session: Caring for the Dying Patient
2:45-3:30 pm
Bereavement and Grief
3:30-4:15 pm
Closing
4:15-4:30 pm
Faculty
Harvard Medical School Continuing Education attracts the best and brightest faculty from all around the world. As a student in this course, you’ll have access to outstanding course directors and faculty.
Course Directors
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Course Fees
Registration Details
You may register through our secure online environment and will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of your payment. Prices include CME credit, electronic syllabus. Session recordings will not be available for this course. At the end of the registration process, a $10 non-refundable processing fee will be added to your registration.
| Role | Course Fee |
|---|---|
| Physician (MD/DO) | $1,995 |
| Nurse (RN/APRN) | $1,995 |
| PA | $1,995 |
| Psychologist | $1,995 |
| Resident/Fellow | $1,995 |
| Social Worker | $1,995 |
| Allied Health Professional / Other | $1,995 |
Accreditation
The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 17.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This activity is approved for 17.75 contact hours, of which 3.75 is eligible for pharmacology credit.
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) states that AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are acceptable for continuing medical education requirements for recertification. We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 17.75 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the activity, with individual assessments of the participant and feedback to the participant, enables the participant to earn 17.75 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.
This activity meets the criteria of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine for 17.75 credits of Risk Management Study. This includes:
- 3.50 credit(s) of Opioid Education and Pain Management Training
- 14.75 credit(s) of End-of-Life Care Education
Application for CME credit has been filed with the American Academy of Family Physicians. Determination of credit is pending.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has an agreement of mutual recognition of continuing medical education (CME) credit with the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Additional information regarding this agreement may be found on the Union of European Medical Specialists website.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society or college as accredited group learning activities.
This program has been approved for 17.75 Social Work Continuing Education hours for
relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D 20184