KeystoneCare, a nonprofit healthcare services agency, was established in 1997 as a hospice provider. The Wyndmoor-based organization’s Keystone House provided a homelike environment for people with terminal illnesses nearing the end of their lives. Since its founding, the organization evolved to include further services such as private home care and palliative care.

As part of this evolution, Dr. Samta Amin, a physician specializing in palliative care, joined the agency in August. Amin’s addition ushers in a new approach to palliative care for the company, according to Alison Abernethy, a KeystoneCare nurse.

“We have tried different models of palliative care here before,” Abernethy said. “We have a palliative program at Chestnut Hill Hospital, where we have nurse practitioners and physicians there. [But] this is our first foray into community palliative care. So, what Samta will be doing is going out and seeing people where they live.”

For Amin, this community-centered approach is preferable to the rigid structure of office visits.

“Trying to meet people where they’re at in their disease course, physically where they’re at, getting to really see their home environment and just their day-to-day lives speaks a lot more to who they are and what they’re dealing with than seeing someone in the office for 15 to 20 minutes,” Amin said.

‘Boots on the ground’

Amin, a New Jersey native, attended Temple University for her undergraduate degree. When she started at the college, she already had plans to enroll in Temple’s medical school as well. She joined the sociology program with conditional acceptance to medical school, taking courses on topics such as public health. Amin credits her interest in the field to early life experiences.

“All four of my grandparents lived with me growing up,” Amin said. “[I saw] some of the health conditions they had and what they went through.”

After graduating from medical school, Amin completed a three-year family medicine residency in Pittsburgh and a one-year hospice and palliative care fellowship in Columbus, Ohio. She said the specialized training in that fellowship occurred at an inpatient hospice facility that “held a lot of meaning” for the community.

When Amin started looking for a job, she was able to narrow down her search based on her prior work.

“Having spent almost the last eight years training and studying at larger health systems, I was looking for something that was more ‘boots on the ground,’” she said. “[I was looking for] people who actually care about the patients they take care of, establishing themselves in the community, and being a much more mission-driven place.”

These requirements led her to KeystoneCare, where she spent the last month learning the ropes at her new job.

“I think with any change — moving back to Philly, new job — there’s always a learning curve, but everyone here has been so kind and supportive,” Amin said. “I can really feel that people are very passionate about helping this program grow and being able to provide this service to people. … There’s just a different energy here that has been really nice to see.”

Explaining palliative care

Amin said one of the biggest challenges of her new position is dealing with people’s misconceptions of palliative care. While many might equate it with hospice care, palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for people with a serious illness at any stage, not just near the end of their lives.

“Hospice is a subset of palliative care,” Amin explained. “It’s a type of palliative care, but for a narrow group of people.” She described her role as a medical specialist, similar to a cardiologist or pulmonologist.

“[A palliative care physician’s] goal is to help focus on things that affect people’s quality of life, work on discussing their care plans, making sure that the care they’re receiving aligns with what their goals are for their health, and helping to address any symptoms like pain or shortness of breath,” she said.

In the new role, Amin hopes to serve as a coordinator between providers, ensuring the care plan is holistic and everyone is on the same page.

“Something we hear a lot from patients is they feel like their providers or the different healthcare facilities or venues they go to don’t communicate with each other, and they feel like they’re having to repeat the same things over and over, but still not really feeling heard about what’s bothering them,” Amin said. “Our goal is to really spend time getting to know what’s important to them and then helping to communicate that to other healthcare providers.”

She also believes her work can be educational, and encourages anyone interested in palliative care for themselves or a loved one to ask a healthcare provider about the discipline. Through events such as speaking engagements with rotary clubs or elder care facilities, she is committed to educating the community about palliative care and combating cultural stigmas surrounding the field.

“There’s a tendency in healthcare to point out a bunch of problems and try to fix them,” Amin said. “[But] some of what we try to do is reframe situations that people are in. … We’re not necessarily saying people are broken or trying to fix things, but instead just pointing out things that can be enhanced and supporting people in the stage they’re at.”

To learn more about palliative care, visit keystonecare.com.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.