Trillium Institute

12/12/2025

In case you missed any of the Palliative Care Project ECHO Series presented by Trillium Institute for Michigan Center for Rural Health, here is the link for the recordings and slides:

The Michigan Center for Rural Health (MCRH) has announced the rural communities to participate in the Cultivating Comfort: Enhancing Palliative Care in Rural Michigan, a rural-focused initiative aimed at expanding and strengthening palliative care services. This project is funded by the Michigan He...

12/08/2025

In this episode of Palliative Matters, Dr. John Mulder and Dr. Jason Beckrow welcome Dr. Andrea Wolf, a former surgical oncologist who made a powerful shift into holistic palliative care.

Dr. Wolf shares what led her to this transition, how she builds deep trust with patients, and why integrative approaches—like craniosacral therapy and hands-on healing—can make all the difference. She also highlights incredible patient stories, including avoiding major surgery and finding relief during cancer care.

🎧 Tune in to “Notes From The Field: A Surgeon’s Journey to Holistic Palliative Care” to hear how whole-person care is reshaping the palliative experience.

Former surgical oncologist Dr. Andrea Wolf joins Dr. John Mulder and Dr. Jason Beckrow to share her journey into holistic palliative care. She discusses how trust, human touch, and integrative techniques—like craniosacral therapy—shape her work wi...

11/05/2025

“When joy and sorrow meet… joy wins.” 🌿

In this episode of Palliative Matters, John Mulder sits down with Dr. John Finn, a pioneer in hospice and palliative care, to explore the human side of medicine at life’s end. From the lessons patients teach us about love, presence, and authenticity to the hope and comfort hospice can bring, this conversation reminds us that even in the hardest moments, joy can prevail.



🎧 Listen now:

In this episode of Palliative Matters, John Mulder sits down with Dr. John Finn, a pioneer in hospice and palliative medicine, to explore the profound human impact of care at the end of life. Dr. Finn shares stories from his early days in oncology...

10/27/2025

Palliative Care ECHO

Dementia & Palliative Care
🗓️ October 28
🕛 12:00 – 1:30 PM EST
📍 Virtual via Zoom
🎤 Featuring: Renee Parham, Trillium Institute

Join us for a free educational session focused on the role of palliative care in supporting individuals living with dementia. This session is ideal for physicians, nurses, social workers, care coordinators, and other healthcare professionals involved in serious illness care.

CME Available: Continuing Medical Education credits will be offered for eligible participants.

✅ Register Now: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0qV7YPhHo3fHazI
📩 Questions? Contact: renee.calkins@affiliate.msu.edu

10/08/2025

Did you know that 77% of patients want their physicians to consider their spiritual needs? In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Ariel Dempsey to explore the role of spirituality in medicine, its positive and negative manifestations, and how physicians from any background can open the door to whole-person care for their patients. Listen now at the link below!

Did you know that 77% of patients want their physicians to consider their spiritual needs? Spirituality and religion have a significant impact on the quality of life and preferences of care, which align with the fundamentals of palliative medicine...

09/09/2025

Palliative care is a very person-centered field of medicine. So how does it fit into a medical system that is focused on curing diseases? In this episode, Dr. Tim Ihrig joins Dr. Mulder and Dr. Beckrow to discuss the challenges of a system that often favors ROI and mitigating financial risk over providing care through the lens of a patient's wants and wishes. Listen now at the link below!

In this episode, Dr. Tim Ihrig joined Dr. Mulder and Dr. Beckrow to take an insightful look at the downsides of our medical system. For a system focused on ROI, putting people in hospital beds, and curing diseases, how do palliative care physician...

09/04/2025

We recently had the pleasure of learning from Barb Opperwall, ACHPN, as she shared her expertise in leading Effective Family Conferences.

Several hospice and palliative medicine fellowship programs in West Michigan have collaborated in a regional lecture series for their fellows, faculty, atten...

08/21/2025

Trillium Institute is excited to partner with the Michigan Center for Rural Health to bring you a virtual ECHO Presentation Series on Palliative Care—offering valuable insights for patients, care partners, professionals, and community members alike.

The link to register: https://mcrh.msu.edu/education/project-echo/pc-echo

08/14/2025

08/04/2025

The ringing of the bell is a finite chapter in the lives of an individual diagnosed with cancer and for all who have cared for that individual. It is not a sign that things are going back to normal, but it does signify that we are moving forward. In this episode, Dr. Mulder and Dr. Beckrow discuss the challenges of survivorship and how physicians and loved ones can offer support during this transitional time. Listen now at the link below!

When cancer patients finish treatment, they ring a bell—signifying the end of a chapter but not the end of their story. As the person transitions to survivorship, there are a myriad of emotional and physical challenges that come about. So, how can...

07/10/2025

We’re thrilled to have this year’s Trinity Health Grand Rapids Palliative Medicine Fellows join us at Trillium Institute and Faith Hospice. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Dr. Nasir, Dr. Van Dop, Dr. Bishop and Dr. Raffo.

07/07/2025

In this episode, Dr. John Mulder and Dr. Jason Beckrow spoke with special guest Dr. Joseph McCollum. Dr. McCollum shares his experience integrating palliative care concepts into a cancer survivorship care clinic. Listen now at the link below!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1941098/episodes/17466005