South Dakota State University Palliative Care Grant: “Adapting an Early Palliative Care Intervention for American Indians and Rural Patients with Advanced Cancer” is a $100,000.00 research grant being carried out by two South Dakota State University College of Nursing (SDSU-CON) Faculty- Sarah Mollman, PhD (Lead investigator) and Brandon Varilek, PhD (co-investigator). Both Drs. Mollman and Varilek hold certification in palliative and hospice nursing (CHPN) and have a strong interest in palliative care research in the state of South Dakota as evidenced by their previous work.
This particular grant is a Hillman Serious Illness and End of Life Emergent Innovation Grant which is a partnership between the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. In addition to SDSU-CON, other partners for the grant include the Avera Cancer Institute-Pierre (ACI-P) and the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UA-B). The ACI-P is the study site from where patients with advanced cancer are being recruited for the study. UA-B is the developer of the intervention and are consultants on the grant work.
The goal of the grant is to make palliative care more accessible by adapting a palliative care intervention to meet the needs and ease the burdens of cancer patients in west central South Dakota. It also seeks to make it culturally responsive for American Indians and rural patients.
The grant started January 1, 2022 and runs through December 31, 2023. Thus far, they have been able to complete 18 interviews with multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. They are seeking input from these healthcare workers on the challenges and needs of patients with advanced cancer as well as feedback on the palliative care intervention. We look forward to hearing and sharing the findings of this grant work when it has been completed.
