Articles & Stories

Everyone is worrying about what to expect and how to prepare for COVID-19. After all, we know so little and there is still no treatment. In two interviews with Dr. Diane Meier, director of CAPC (the Center to Advance Palliative Care), ARCHANGELS Co-Founder and CEO, Alexandra Drane, gets at the core of what’s waking us up at night, including how do we make decisions and how do we actually feel human instead of just medical specimens. Diane makes us feel more in control and feel better about our COVID19 worries… she clears up confusion, addresses the fears many of us have, recommends three things we can all do right now to be prepared–and she makes it not scary. We can all feel good about telling a friend to watch these videos. … Read More

If you are a transplant recipient, you may be wondering how the Coronavirus (COVID-19) might affect you. Since it is a new virus, doctors are still learning about it and its potential effect on transplant recipients. Doctors Meenakshi Rana and Andrew E. Esch share tips and answer frequently asked questions.* … Read More

Tony Back, MD, a doctor in Seattle, has very useful and clear tips for caregivers caring for someone with a serious illness during COVID-19.  What you do is so important to the person you care for—so first, Dr. Back and all of us want to shout out a huge thank you. 

Many of you want to know what you should be doing now about coronavirus. And you’re saying, we’re already staying at home. What else can we do? Well, there are three other good things you can do now. … Read More

If you or a loved one are living with a chronic lung disease or other respiratory condition, you may be wondering how Coronavirus (COVID-19) could affect you. Below, doctors Louis R. DePalo and Andrew E. Esch share tips and answer frequently asked questions.* … Read More

If you or a loved one are living with cancer, there are things that you can do to protect yourself from coronavirus (also called COVID-19). Doctors Cardinale B. Smith and Andrew E. Esch share tips and answer frequently asked questions.*  … Read More

This is a concerning time, especially for older adults and people living with a serious illness. Because of COVID-19, it’s important to protect yourself and loved ones as much as possible. In this blog post and video, Dr. Sean Morrison of The Mount Sinai Hospital discusses what a coronavirus is and provides important information and tips.  … Read More

By Andrew Esch, MD

Did you know that most large hospitals in the U.S. have a specialized medical team that uniquely cares for people living with serious illnesses? If you or a loved one has any type of cancer, heart or kidney disease, dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, or any other serious illness, you should know about this extra layer of medical support. It’s called palliative care and focuses on relieving symptoms and stress that so often come with these kinds of illnesses.  … Read More

By Lisa Morgan 

Do people know much about palliative care? What are the top concerns of people living with a serious illness?  … Read More

Did Your State Make the Grade?

By Lisa Morgan

Palliative care, also known as palliative medicine, is specialized  medical care that focuses on relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of serious illness. Appropriate at any age and at any stage of a serious illness, it is provided at the same time as all other treatments.

Palliative care is growing rapidly in the US as more and more people see the potential of palliative care to improve quality of care and quality of life. But getting palliative care is easier in some states than others.  … Read More

By Andrew Esch, MD

When you are diagnosed with a serious illness, it’s normal for you and your family to have a lot of questions. You may need help understanding the illness, treatment options and what the future holds. You may have concerns that you don’t know how to put into words yet. It can be very hard to think clearly, and even the best doctors don’t always explain things well.  … Read More