The Academic Hospice

1 November 2005 | Volume 143 Issue 9 | Pages 655-658

The academic hospice is a recent development in health care. Hospice programs and hospitals evolved from the same historical roots in Greek and Roman medicine. The academic hospital emerged as a place where patient care, education, and research are pursued as inextricable parts of the mission. The unique role of the academic medical center in health care is supported by the government, the medical profession, and the public. This article provides a perspective on the emergence of the academic hospice. Dr. Cicely Saunders, who died on 14 July 2005, founded the first such hospice in London, England, in 1967. The authors show that the philosophy of hospice care has the same historical roots as standard health care and describe those elements that distinguish academic hospice programs from other kinds of hospice programs. Finally, the authors note that demographic and economic challenges in the United States and elsewhere only increase the need for academic hospice programs.

Author and Article Information

From San Diego Hospice & Palliative Care, San Diego, California.

Grant Support: By the Alfred Stengel Traveling Scholarship of the American College of Physicians, the Established Investigator Award of the National Cancer Institute K05CA102582, and the Dr. Seuss Fund (Dr. von Gunten). The work of both authors has been supported by the generosity of the late Joan Kroc.

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.

Requests for Single Reprints: Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD, 4311 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103; e-mail, cvongunten{at}sdhospice.org.

Current Author Addresses: Dr. von Gunten and Mr. Ryndes: 4311 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103.