• Skip to main content
  • Skip to main content
Choose which site to search.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Logo University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
College of Medicine: Department of Internal Medicine
  • UAMS Health
  • Jobs
  • Giving
  • About Us
    • Edward T. H. Yeh, M.D., FACC
    • Administration
    • IMpact Monthly Newsletter
  • Divisions
    • Cardiovascular Medicine
      • Faculty
      • Publications
      • Fellowships
        • Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship
          • Curriculum
          • Fellows
          • Apply
        • Interventional Cardiology Fellowship
          • Curriculum
          • Faculty
          • Fellows
          • Apply
        • Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship
          • Fellows
          • Apply
      • Cardiology Research
        • Clinical Research
        • Heart Healthy Communities
    • Community Health and Research
    • Endocrinology and Metabolism
      • Faculty
      • Research
        • The Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases
        • Diabetes and Obesity
        • Genetic Models Core
      • Staff
      • Endocrinology Fellowship
        • Curriculum
          • Clinics
            • Inpatient Consulting Service
            • Osteoporosis Center and Bone and Joint Program
          • Research Programs
        • Faculty
          • Faculty Research and Scholarly Activity
        • Fellows
          • Career Development
          • Fellow Life
        • Apply
    • Gastroenterology and Hepatology
      • Faculty and Staff
      • Research
      • GI/Hepatology Fellowship
        • Fellows
        • Faculty
        • Apply
      • Gut Club
    • General Internal Medicine
      • Faculty and Staff
      • Vision and Values
      • Career Opportunities
    • Hematology and Oncology
      • Faculty and Staff
        • Hematology/Oncology Hospitalists
        • Multiple Myeloma Faculty
        • Oncology Faculty
        • Hematology/Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
      • Hematology Oncology Fellowship
        • Fellows
        • Apply
    • Hospital Medicine
      • Faculty and Staff
      • Career Opportunities
    • Infectious Diseases
      • Faculty
      • Infectious Diseases Fellowship
        • Curriculum
        • Current Fellows
          • Anas Alrwashdeh, M.D.
          • Anna Witt, M.D.
          • Srivani Sanikomu, M.D.
          • Kara Phillips, M.D.
        • Fellowship Program Alumni
        • Infectious Diseases Faculty
        • Apply
      • Infectious Diseases Publications
    • Nephrology
      • Nephrology Faculty
      • Research Programs
      • Nephrology Fellowship
        • Curriculum
        • Nephrology Fellows
        • Apply
      • Recent Publications
      • KIDNEYcon
      • Division Staff Contacts
      • Clinical Programs
    • Onco-Cardiology
    • Palliative Medicine
      • Faculty and Staff
        • Faculty Recruitment
      • Clinical Programs
      • Publications
      • Contact Us
      • Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
        • Curriculum
        • Faculty
        • Fellows
        • Apply
      • Palliative Care Education
    • Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
      • Faculty
      • Recent Publications
      • Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship
        • Curriculum
        • Conferences
        • Fellows
        • Faculty
        • Testimonials
        • Apply
      • Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship
      • Clinical Information
    • Rheumatology and Immunology
      • Faculty
      • Rheumatology Fellowship
        • Curriculum
        • Fellows
        • Faculty
        • Apply
  • Residencies
    • Internal Medicine Residency
      • Who We Are
        • Program Leadership
        • Program Staff
      • What We Do
        • Work
          • Clinic Week
          • Inpatient Rotations and Electives
          • POCUS Curriculum
          • Educational Conferences
          • Ward Teams
          • Call System
        • Play
        • Resident Research
        • Resident Wellness
      • Where We Go
    • Medicine-Pediatrics Residency
      • Meet the Housestaff
      • Education
      • Training Sites
      • Graduates
      • Guide to Little Rock
      • Applying?
    • Life in Little Rock
    • Application Process
    • GME Info for Resident Trainees
  • Fellowships
  • Grand Rounds
    • 2022 Grand Rounds
    • 2021 Grand Rounds
    • 2020 Grand Rounds
    • 2019 Grand Rounds
    • 2018 Grand Rounds
    • 2017 Grand Rounds
    • 2016 Grand Rounds
    • 2015 Grand Rounds
  • Faculty Mentoring Program
    • Mentoring Resources
      • For Mentees
      • For Mentors
    • Promotion and Tenure
    • Well-Being and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Tools
  • Research
    • Annual Research Symposium
      • Abstract Guidelines
      • FAQ
      • Annual Research Symposium 2023
      • Recent Posters
      • Annual Research Symposium Submission Form
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • DEI Grand Rounds
    • Committee
    • Strategic Plan
    • Training Mentorship Program
    • Resident DEI Initiatives
    • Dr. Ray Miller DEI Award
  • Alumni
    • Alumni Services
  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. College of Medicine
  3. Department of Internal Medicine
  4. News
  5. Holding Space for Hope and Reality

Holding Space for Hope and Reality

By Marty Trieschmann

UAMS Palliative Care Lecture Sparks Discussion on End-of-Life Communication

Sarah Harrington, M.D., medical director of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Palliative Care Program, is on a mission to help other physicians understand the delicate nature of communicating with patients facing serious illnesses.

“There are a lot of difficult conversations we have to have at profound moments,” said Harrington, director of the UAMS Division of Palliative Medicine since 2008. “How we use language in these moments is so important, but it’s not something all physicians are trained to do.”

Dr Harrington with Sunita Puri
Sarah Harrington, M.D., medical director of the UAMS Palliative Care Program with Sunita Puri, M.D., author of “That Good Night” and director of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center and the Chan School of Medicine. Image by Bryan Clifton

The role of language was one of the main topics of discussion at a fall guest lecture presented by the division. The event, titled “That Good Night: On Dignity, Suffering & the Role of Medicine in Life’s Eleventh Hour,” was made possible by a grant from the Dorothy Snider Foundation. This is the second year of the series.

In September, Sunita Puri, M.D., author of “That Good Night,” spoke to a group of 100 guests at Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock about her experiences with patients facing serious illness. Puri is the director of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center and the Chan School of Medicine, where she is an associate professor of clinical medicine. The following day, Puri spoke to UAMS faculty and students on campus at the first Palliative Medicine Grand Rounds.

Puri’s book struck a chord with the UAMS palliative care faculty.

“She talks about holding space for patients and families to have hope,” said Harrington.

“It’s a difficult thing for physicians to navigate, but we can have both.

“Don’t tell a patient, ‘There’s nothing more we can do.’ “That’s terrible. There is always something we can do. We can always provide specialized patient-centered care, especially at the end of life.”

The Palliative Care Team treats patients within the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and the UAMS Medical Center. Most of their patients have cancer, end-stage heart failure, dementia or other serious illnesses

“We always have to balance hope and reality,” said Harrington. “We have to explain to patients how a disease course is likely to go while being open that there is always a certain amount of uncertainty.”

Harrington says the lecture sparked good conversations about dealing with uncertainty in prognosis and navigating difficult conversations.

“Many patients have years to live,” she said. “Our job is to help manage their symptoms and give them the best quality of life. There’s a lot of good we can do at this stage of an illness.”

Posted on January 3, 2023

Filed Under: Palliative Care

UAMS College of Medicine LogoUAMS College of MedicineUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

© 2023 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences