APP Colleagues,
On February 3rd, we welcomed and thanked Jessica Baughman, PA-C, fellow in Hospice
and Palliative Medicine to discuss Suffering: A Construct of Worldview.
Jess grew up in rural Kansas and attended college, both
undergraduate and graduate, at Wichita State University. She worked in medical
education as a Pediatric Residency Coordinator at the University of Kansas
School of Medicine before making the transition into patient care by attending
PA school. She has worked primarily as a Critical Care PA in the 8 years since
graduation, and moved to Vermont in 2018 to work at Rutland Regional Medical
Center. She has definitely enjoyed the change in scenery, however does miss the
straight roads and epic sunsets the Midwest has to offer. She lives at home
with her two cats, Gilda and Oates and spends her free time reading, gardening
and singing in a local cover band, Radio Bear.
Palliative Care Motivation:
Jess has spent many hours in the ICU talking to patients and
families about end-of-life care. However, when her mother passed away from a
terminal illness, she experienced just how important formal palliative care is
for patients, especially before they become critically ill. She wants to learn
as much as possible about all facets of Hospice and Palliative medicine and
then work to expand services at the community hospital level.
