Dr. Lamrad specializes in Palliative and Hospital Medicine, with a focus on the healthcare needs of hospital patients and the medical needs of people with serious or life-limiting illnesses. As a palliative specialist, she works with patients, families, and the patient’s care team to optimize quality of life for those who suffer from chronic, debilitating, or life-threatening conditions. She earned her medical doctorate from Saba University School of Medicine, the Netherlands-Antilles, and completed both her Internal Medicine residency and fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at State University of New York at Buffalo.
Palliative Medicine
Ann Hoff, MD
Ann M. Hoff, MD, specializes in Palliative Medicine, a program of specialized medical care for people with serious and life-limiting illnesses. As a physician fellowship trained and board certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, she leads a team of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers and other specialists, who work with the patient’s other doctors to focus on providing relief from the stress and symptoms associated with the serious or life-limiting illness. The primary aim of Palliative Medicine is to improve quality of life for patients and their families. A Bismarck native, Dr. Hoff received her medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and completed an Emergency Medicine residency at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester. She was a member of Trinity’s Emergency/Trauma team for six years before leaving in 2015 to complete her palliative fellowship at the University of Minnesota. She’s a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Palliative Medicine
Trinity Health’s Palliative Medicine team provides care for people confronted with any serious or life-limiting condition, such as:
- Cancer
- Chronic pulmonary illness
- Cardiac condition
- Renal disease
- Liver disease
- Progressive neurological illness such as ALS or acute devastating neurologic injury
- Severe vascular insufficiency with concern for amputation
Services include:
- Patient- and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life
- Management of difficult symptoms related to the serious/life-limiting illness
- Collaboration/communication with non-palliative healthcare providers regarding patient care needs
- Emotional, psychological, and spiritual support for the patient and family
Can I still receive treatment for my condition?
Yes. Palliative Medicine team members work in concert with the patient’s other caregivers to complement treatment goals and help the patient live a more satisfactory life while confronting their illness.
Do insurance plans cover palliative care?
Many do cover all or part of Palliative Medicine services. Part of our role is to help patients address these concerns by drawing on social services expertise from our own team and Trinity’s Case Management Department.
How are Palliative Medicine and Hospice Care related?
While both are concerned with easing symptoms and maintaining maximum quality of life, Palliative Medicine is for anyone with a serious or life-limiting illness, regardless of whether they are receiving treatment for their condition. Hospice is for people who are in the last six months of a terminal illness.