As her husband’s health started to deteriorate last year, Marissa Rubio Agustin said managing his pain became a big priority.

Hospitalized several times at the Kaiser Permanente Fremont Medical Center since his diagnosis, Marissa’s husband had several complications from stage 4 cancer that spread through his body.

“Palliative care has been instrumental in managing my husband’s pain, and his team has been the best — very responsive and caring,” Rubio Agustin said in a recent interview. “They took time to listen to me and answer my questions, and they always answered my calls in a timely manner.”

Palliative care provides extra support for patients with a serious illness, and it aims to improve a patient’s quality of life — mind, body, and spirit.

The team at the Fremont Medical Center consists of Sharanpreet Kaur, DO, a palliative care physician, Erica Venenciano, RN, a palliative care nurse, and Kathleen Harrington, a medical social worker.

“Our biggest role is to be here for the patient and their family, to answer their questions, to make sure they understand what is going on with their loved one, and to ensure our care teams understand the goals of the family and the patient,” Dr. Kaur said.

Dr. Kaur, who joined Kaiser Permanente in 2022, said that unfortunately stigma still exists about palliative care.

To be heard and understood

Many people confuse palliative care with hospice and end-of-life care because they are usually misinformed about what it involves, Dr. Kaur said. While both forms of care focus on improving quality of life for seriously ill patients, hospice care is specifically for people nearing the end of life, while palliative care is provided at any point during a serious illness.

The purpose of Dr. Kaur’s work is to make sure that the goals and needs of the patient and their family are heard and understood. This may include serious illness related symptoms or even psychological and spiritual needs.

“Sometimes we get so busy treating the disease we forget about the actual person that we are treating. In palliative care we believe that the mind, body, and spirit are interconnected,” Dr. Kaur said. “This is what drew me to palliative care — to be able to sit with patients and family and listen to them.”

As part of her practice, Dr. Kaur tries to always listen with compassion and empathy. She often relates to her patients and their families by telling her own story of dealing with death and grief when her grandmother died.

“Being vulnerable and reassuring with my patients is very important for me,” Dr. Kaur said. “It helps them understand that I, too, am a daughter, a wife, and a sister, not just a doctor who is part of their care team.”

Marissa Rubio Agustin said she appreciated the personalized level of care her husband received from Dr. Kaur and the rest of the Fremont Medical Center’s palliative care team. Marissa’s husband passed away on Jan. 24, and she said she has been also especially thankful for the emotional support the team has provided to her and her family during this difficult time.

“Dr. Kaur and her team have helped reduce my husband’s suffering,” Rubio Agustin said. “Together, Dr. Kaur, Erica, and Kat went above and beyond to help our family.”

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