Strengthening Palliative Care for Patients and Families in the Northeast  

Palliative care is often misunderstood as care provided only in the final days of life. In reality, it plays a vital role much earlier, helping people live as comfortably and fully as possible while managing serious illness. 

At Timmins and District Hospital, an initiative is helping strengthen palliative care skills among healthcare providers, improving access to compassionate, patient-centred care across Timmins and surrounding northern communities. 

Addressing Disparities in Northern Communities 

Access to palliative care remains uneven across Ontario, with northern and rural residents facing significant barriers. 

Research shows that rural patients in Ontario are up to 18% less likely to receive palliative care than those in urban areas. When palliative care is not available early, patients are more likely to experience aggressive interventions near the end of life, including ICU admissions and hospital-based care that may not align with their goals or improve quality of life. 

Specialist services are also less accessible in northern regions. According to the Ontario Palliative Care Atlas, access to dedicated palliative care resources, including specialist teams and hospice beds, is significantly more limited outside urban centres. These geographic disparities reflect broader healthcare access challenges across Northern Ontario, where distance, workforce shortages, and resource constraints can affect care delivery. 

Strengthening local capacity is key to addressing these gaps. 

Building Capacity Through Education and Collaboration 

Through a province-wide initiative funded by Ontario Health, Timmins and District Hospital is working to build palliative care knowledge and skills among frontline providers. 

Rather than focusing only on specialist care, the initiative empowers healthcare providers across hospital and community settings to integrate palliative approaches into everyday care. Two healthcare professionals, Natasha Best and Kristina Wright, are working as educators to build this capacity in the community.  

“We work with healthcare organizations to assess their current practices and identify opportunities to strengthen palliative care,” says Natasha Best, Palliative Care Clinical Coach and Educator. “The goal is to build confidence and capacity so providers feel equipped to integrate palliative approaches into everyday care.” 

This includes reviewing policies, assessing education needs, and providing training to ensure staff have the knowledge and tools to support patients living with serious illness. 

“As a palliative care nurse practitioner with Ontario Health atHome, I am honoured to be involved in patient and families end of life journey,” says Marnie Chisholm, a local primary care provider. “I see firsthand how early palliative care involvement reduces suffering, enhances quality of life, allows patients time to make choices regarding their goals of care as well as gives families the confidence and support they require to care for their loved ones with dignity. Geography shouldn’t determine the quality of someone’s final chapter.” 

Improving Quality of Life for Patients and Families 

Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life by managing symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and anxiety, while also supporting emotional and family needs. It can be provided alongside treatments aimed at managing illness and is appropriate at any stage, not only at the end of life. 

“Palliative care isn’t just about the last days of life,” says Kristina Wright, RN, Palliative Care Clinical Coach and Educator. “It’s about supporting patients and families throughout their illness — helping manage symptoms, improving comfort, and ensuring care reflects what matters most to them.” 

Evidence shows that early palliative care improves patient comfort, supports families, and reduces unnecessary hospital visits (Canadian Institute for Health Information; Ontario Ministry of Health). 

By strengthening knowledge and awareness among healthcare providers, Timmins and District Hospital is helping ensure more patients can benefit from palliative care earlier, when it can have the greatest impact. 

Strengthening Care for the Future 

This work reflects a broader shift in healthcare toward integrating palliative care earlier and more consistently across all care settings. 

For northern communities in particular, building capacity among local healthcare providers is essential to ensuring equitable access to compassionate care close to home. 

“Our goal is to ensure that every patient receives the right care at the right time,” says Best. “By building knowledge and strengthening our system, we can improve quality of life for patients and families throughout their healthcare journey.”