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Care Path at Renaissance was established provide compassionate care when you or someone you love is living with a serious medical condition. Care Path at Renaissance is dedicated to providing comprehensive palliative (pal-lee-uh-tiv) and hospice care, with the goal of improving the quality of life for both the patient and their family. Our patients receive care from a team of doctors, nurse practitioners, social workers, chaplains and specialists who work with a patient's other caregivers to provide an extra layer of support.

It is the mission of Care Path at Renaissance to partner with your physician, listen to your needs, and give you care and support to meet those needs. We will be attentive to your concerns and will create a plan to address them. We are dedicated to helping reduce your pain and symptoms, provide you with proper resources, and help you choose the right treatment at the right time, focusing on your healthcare goals. Our goal is to make it possible for you to live your life to the fullest each day. We provide a safe passage through the final months of your serious illness.

Care Path at Renaissance

5525 Doctors Drive, Edinburg, TX 78539

(956) 362-3790

Open Monday-Friday

8:00 AM-5:00 PM

About Us

Palliative Care

Care Path at Renaissance provides palliative (pal-lee-uh-tiv) care, which is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. This type of care is focused on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness - whatever the diagnosis may be. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. This specialized care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided together with curative treatment. Care Path, or palliative care, is not the same as hospice care. Both use the same principles for symptom management and support. Care Path is appropriate for any age of patient and at any stage of illness.

Physical Needs

• Pain

• Nausea, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite

• Breathing difficulty

• Exhaustion and tiredness

• Anxiety, depression, confusion

Hospice Care

Hospice care is specialized care for the patient with a life expectancy of six months or less. As symptoms of serious illness become more severe and hospitalizations more frequent, patients have more difficulty with tasks of daily living such as dressing and bathing or taking on activities like shopping or hobbies. Our team focuses on expert pain management, spiritual, and psychosocial issues while providing direct patient care, such as bathing and assistance in the home through certified nursing assistants and volunteers.

Our team provides a support network to help patients live as fully and as comfortably as possible by offering:

• Expertise in reducing pain and lessening symptoms

• Companionship, respite, and assistance

• Advance care planning and decision-making assistance

• Bathing and other personal care

• Grief and spiritual counseling and support

• Help with family discussions

• Accessibility to available community resources

What Sets Us Apart

On-Call Staff 24/7: We're available to answer questions or address concerns any day, night, or on weekends. Our full-time physician and nursing staff, who specialize in hospice and palliative medicine, can make house calls as needed.
Specialists in Palliative Medicine: We're experts in managing pain and symptoms.
Crisis Care: Around-the-clock nursing care, monitoring, and support is available and provided until the crisis is resolved.
Bereavement and Support: Grief support provided for patient families as well as for community adults and children.

Grief Support

We understand that coping with grief is a challenging process. If you are having difficulty dealing with the loss of a loved one, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance can help. Throughout the year, support groups are offered for families of Care Path at Renaissance patients as well as adults in our community whose family did not receive hospice services here. Call (956) 362-3790 for information about monthly grief support groups.

Services

Karen Reichow, M.D.

Medical Director, Care Path at Renaissance

Dr. Reichow is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Karen Reichow specializes in palliative medicine, providing holistic care, symptom management and end of life treatment for patients with serious illnesses.

Dr. Reichow received her bachelor degree and medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. She completed her residency training in internal medicine at Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia.

The Care Path at Renaissance team consists of an interdisciplinary group of professionals who provide physical, emotional, and spiritual care for patients and their families. Our team includes physicians, advanced practice nurses, chaplains, social workers, nurses, aides and other medical care providers.

Palliative Care Team

Hospice Team

Your Team

In the winter of 2013, Cindy was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After battling her disease for nearly two years, she was admitted to Doctors Hospital at Renaissance to receive Palliative and Hospice Care. The cancer had entered her spine and caused her a great deal of pain. While admitted, she underwent a few more rounds of chemo and radiation before the doctors gently told her to prepare and enjoy the time she had left.

Cindy had visited two other facilities throughout her years of treatment, but chose Doctors Hospital at Renaissance for Palliative and Hospice Care because the staff made her feel as though she was someone special. Cindy’s sister, Rosie, frequently mentioned how wonderful the doctors and nursing staff were throughout Cindy’s hospital stay. With their warm and caring manner they made sure that the family understood Cindy’s condition and the future planning that was needed. They explained the different medications and what their effects would be. They were always on hand to ensure that she was in the least amount of pain possible. Cindy’s family felt reassured knowing that she was receiving the medication she needed, was eating correctly and getting the best care available. It eased an enormous burden, as they were then able to focus on Cindy’s emotional needs and spiritual well-being.

"Cindy’s family felt reassured knowing that she was receiving the medication she needed, was eating correctly and getting the best care available"

Throughout the weeks Cindy was in the hospital, the staff made every effort to see that she was comfortable and went above and beyond what was required of them. In mid-November 2015, days before her passing, Cindy asked to go outside, which was impossible due to her deteriorating condition. However, the nursing staff came together, found a wheelchair and lifted her out of her bed and into the wheelchair making sure she was cozy and safe. Her friends then took her on an outing around the hospital hallway, giving her the chance to feel the simple freedom of being out with friends. At the end, Rosie was able to be by Cindy’s side as she drew her last breath. The team that had worked for weeks caring for Cindy respectfully allowed her family to grieve and mourn their loss. Cindy was able to pass in peace, surrounded by family and friends, cared for by nurses and doctors who grew to love her as well.

At Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, the Palliative and Hospice Care team will treat your loved one as one of their own. We understand that this is a time of great difficulty and we will gently explain the options and care plans best suited for your loved one. Our passion for quality of life as well as physical, emotional and spiritual comfort, demonstrates our commitment to the patient, their family members and the community.

Patient Testimonial

How is palliative care different from hospice?

Palliative (pal-lee-uh-tiv) care which is specialized medical care for people with serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness - whatever the diagnosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. This specialized care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided together with curative treatment.

Hospice care is specialized care for the patient with a life expectancy of six months or less. As symptoms of serious illness become more severe and hospitalizations more frequent, patients have more difficulty with tasks of daily living such as dressing and bathing, or taking on activities like shopping or hobbies.

How do I know if palliative care is right for me?

Palliative care may be right for you if you are experiencing pain, stress and other symptoms due to a serious illness. Serious illnesses include but are not limited to: cancer, cardiac disease, respiratory disease, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis. Palliative care is appropriate at any stage of a serious illness and you can get it along with treatment meant to cure you.

What forms should my loved one fill out regarding end of life care?

MOST (Medical Orders for the Scope of Treatment) form

Outlines a plan of care respecting the patient’s wishes concerning end of life care. It is intended for patients with chronic progressive illnesses, and is appropriate for patients whose life expectancy is less than one year.

Advance Directives

An advance directive is a living will that allows you to document your wishes concerning medical treatments at the end of life. Advance directives do not expire and can be completed at any point during a person’s life. Advance directives should be reviewed periodically to ensure they still reflect your wishes.

Who pays for Care Path at Renaissance services?

Consultations with the Care Path at Renaissance teams are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurances.

Who makes up the Care Path at Renaissance Team?

Care Path at Renaissance is comprised of a team of doctors, nurse practitioners, social workers, chaplains and specialists who work with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support.

Frequently Asked Questions

We'll be here for you when you need us

We hope you found all of the information that you needed. If you have any questions or if you would like to make an appointment, please call us and we will schedule one for you at your immediate convenience.

Care Path at Renaissance

5525 Doctors Drive, Edinburg, TX 78539

(956) 362-3790

Open Monday-Friday

8:00 AM-5:00 PM

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