Nebraska Medicine has long offered outpatient palliative care to patients with cancer, supporting them through every stage of their illness. Now, the service has expanded to help patients facing other serious health conditions as well.

“We were able to hire enough providers to expand to general palliative care,” says Melissa Teply, MD, hospice and palliative medicine doctor. “This allows us to care for a larger population of people living with serious illnesses.”

“Our biggest goal is to promote well-being from the time of a serious diagnosis through the end of life,” Dr. Teply says.

Oftentimes that includes helping patients see the bigger picture and providing an extra layer of support along the way.

“At some point, certain treatments or procedures may not work the way they once did,” Dr. Teply adds. “We look closely at what matters most to the patient and help manage the symptoms that can become more burdensome over time.”

In addition to expanding Palliative Care services to Elkhorn Health Center in July 2025, Geriatric Medicine services are also growing. Patients can now access geriatric specialists at Elkhorn Health Center, the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging (HICSA) and Brentwood Health Center — offering older adults more options for comprehensive, age-specific care.

“Many older adults experience serious or chronic illnesses, so there’s often overlap between our work in Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care,” says Lindsey Schindler, DO, family medicine doctor specializing in geriatrics, hospice and palliative medicine. “We’re grateful to bring both services to Elkhorn, helping older adults navigate their later years and maximize their quality of life.”